Watkins Abbitt has certainly taken trips during his tenure as Delegate from the 59th District. In February of last year, Blair Goldstein of the Lynchburg News-Advance wrote an article entitled, “Yes Virginia, There Is a Legislative Santa Claus”. In it he reported:

Abbitt may have a chance to try again, as trips on the sheriffs’ association’s dime have become somewhat of a tradition during the past four years. He’s gone bear hunting in Quebec; flounder fishing in Wachapreague, Va; and duck hunting in Louisiana.

Abbitt said he paid about $2,000 of his own money toward the moose-hunting trip and the sheriffs’ association picked up the rest.

The fall moose-hunting trip was among the approximate $315,000 in gifts, honorariums, travel and taxpayer-funded trips that legislators and three statewide officeholders reported receiving in 2005, according to a Richmond Times-Dispatch analysis of a database of disclosure statements compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project.

That money includes dinners, meetings and trips taken by Lynchburg-area delegates.

Abbitt reported accepting about $5,953 from companies and organizations. “I don’t think I have to explain,” Abbitt said. “I don’t think they’re huge trips.”

In addition to the hunting trip, Abbitt and his wife, Madeline, spent three days and two nights in Paradise Island, Bahamas, where Abbitt was asked to be a speaker at the Virginia Auto Dealers Association’s annual conference.

The auto association paid $1,983.83 for Abbitt’s tropical trip.

In 2002, the auto association paid $3,087.33 to fly Abbitt and his wife to their conference in Bermuda.

“I talked about the upcoming General Assembly and what they can expect,” he said. “It was nice. I enjoyed it.”

I am sure it was nice, there in Bermuda, partially on someone else’s dime. And the same with the bear hunting trip, the duck hunting trip and the flounder fishing trip.

Donations in connections with the sponsors of these trips:

Virginia Auto Dealers Association – $16,100 – 1997 to Present
Virginia Sheriff’s Association – $5598 – 1997 – Present

Source: VPAP