George W. Bush billed a charity for wounded military veterans.
Former President George W. Bush charged $100,000 to speak at a charity fundraiser for U.S. military veterans severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, and former First Lady Laura Bush collected $50,000 to appear a year earlier, officials of the Texas-based Helping a Hero charity confirmed to ABC News.
The former President was also provided with a private jet to travel to Houston at a cost of $20,000, the officials said.
“It was great because he reduced his normal fee of $250,000 down to $100,000,” said Meredith Iler, the former chairman of the charity.
However, a recent report by Politico said the former President’s fees typically ranged between $100,000 and $175,000 during those years.
One of the wounded vets who served on the charity’s board told ABC News he was outraged that his former commander in chief would charge any fee to speak on behalf of men and women he ordered into harm’s way.
“For him to be paid to raise money for veterans that were wounded in combat under his orders, I don’t think that’s right,” said former Marine Eddie Wright, who lost both hands in a rocket attack in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004.
“You sent me to war,” added Wright speaking of the former President. “I was doing what you told me to do, gladly for you and our country and I have no regrets. But it’s kind of a slap in the face.”
Former U.S. Presidents have turned the speaker’s circuit into a major source of income for their post-presidential years. Ronald Reagan faced criticism in 1989 for accepting $2 million for speeches in Japan. Bill Clinton has brought in more than $100 million in post-presidential speaking fees. But as the commander-in-chief responsible for the prosecution of two bloody wars, Bush has faced a unique dilemma when it has come to addressing military veterans groups and and charged $100,000 to speak.
A spokesperson for former President Bill Clinton said he “has never received” a speaking fee for addressing a veterans’ group.
Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was the featured speaker at last year’s Helping a Hero charity fundraiser and did not charge a fee.
As a result of having served as President of the United States, George W. Bush receives an annual pension of $191,300, as well as a number of other perks including Secret Service protection and money to pay expenses (office rent, etc).
George W. Bush’s net to be estimate approximately at $20 million.
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