‘Outrageous!’ JD Vance Torched by Left AND Right Over Birthday Request to Help ‘Kayaking Conditions’
Press Association via AP Images
Vice President JD Vance is facing backlash from conservatives and liberals alike over his use of government resources after a report claimed his team requested the release of dam water to improve kayaking conditions during a family vacation.
The vice president’s staff coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to raise water levels on the Little Miami River in Ohio, according to The Guardian. The change involved a sudden outflow from Caesar Creek Lake and public data recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirms a marked shift on Aug. 1.
On social media, Vance was photographed by locals paddling the river on his 40th birthday on Aug. 2.
The Secret Service requested the levels be changed to “support safe navigation of US Secret Service personnel” during Vance’s visit for the use of motorized boating equipment.
Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson Gene Pawlik confirmed the request was made and that it “met the operational criteria outlined in the Water Control Manual for Caesar Creek Lake and did not require a deviation from normal procedures.”
An anonymous source, however, claimed that the aim was to create “ideal kayaking conditions” for Vance’s birthday paddle.
It is not unusual for the Army Corps of Engineers to adjust water outflows to support public activities, such as community river festivals or emergency responder training. However, The Guardian’s source said “special releases” are generally not done for individuals or by individual request.
Still, critics on the left and right accused the vice president of exploiting public infrastructure for his personal use.
Richard Painter, former ethics lawyer under former President George W. Bush, ripped the move as “outrageous”:
Former President Barack Obama’s ethics czar Norman Eisen was more blunt, telling The Guardian: “I never would have permitted this kind of a thing because whether it technically violates the rules or not, it creates the appearance that the vice-president of the United States is getting special treatment that’s not available to the average person who wants to utilize that body of water for recreational purposes.”
He continued: “While there may well be security-related explanations or justifications that come into the analysis, my reaction is: I don’t care. We shouldn’t be utilizing government resources in this way. I never would have allowed it.”
