Final months of flights for ex-Missouri governor cost $50K

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri spent about $50,000 on state airplane flights for former governor Jay Nixon during his final two months in office.

Flight records provided Friday to The Associated Press show many of those trips were between Jefferson City and St. Louis, where the Democrat bought a home before leaving office.

Nixon was succeeded Jan. 9 by Republican Gov. Eric Greitens.

Flight logs from Election Day through mid-February confirm Greitens didn’t fly on state airplanes. But a Greitens spokesman said he flew on a National Guard helicopter Wednesday to view tornado damage in Perryville.

Greiten’s staff said he saves taxpayer dollars by typically traveling by road or private planes. There is no public record of who flies with Greitens on private planes.

State flight records show Nixon often was accompanied by staff.