A Museum Director's Jet Set Life Causes Trouble For the Smithsonian

A luxury lifestyle has come back to haunt the former director of the National Museum of the American Indian. W. Richard West Jr. spent more than $250,000 in Smithsonian money on first-class transportation and luxury hotels in just four years according to records obtained by The Washington Post. During those four years he was away from Washington for 576 days on trips that included speaking engagements, fundraising and work for other nonprofit groups. He zipped around the globe hitting Paris, Singapore, New Zealand, Greece and Indonesia.

West, who recently retired from the director's post says his trips were approved by supervisors and were part of his job, representing the museum around the world. He has a defender in Jacqueline Johnson, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, who praised his record of service. The Smithsonian has been facing a lot of heat lately with allegations of spending abuses by former Secretary Lawrence Small, who resigned. While West was making his travels,top Smithsonian officials were allowed unlimited leave with pay.

It is said that West traveled more than other Smithsonian museum directors. I wonder if he would have faced the same scrutiny if he flew coach. It can be hard to pin down which hotels qualify as luxury versus simply convenient or available but first class plane flights, like flying by private jet, is easily identifiable as being perhaps, a bit decadent.