It’s no secret Newt Gingrich has expensive taste. He enjoys the finer things life has to offer — and Newt makes no exceptions when negotiating his paid public speaking appearances.
The Smoking Gun got a hold of a document detailing Gingrich’s rider requests for a speech in January 2010. His appearance carried a hefty price tag — more than $50,000 — and included a few hotel stipulations:
“Mr. Gingrich requires a non-smoking one-bedroom suite (preferably with two bathrooms) and an additional non-smoking single room (located nearby the suite, but not attached) for his aide…”
Now, the two-bathroom jokes write themselves, so we’ll spare you. But Gingrich also requires cash equivalent for “first class expenses,” including meals, incidentals and first class airfare for two. Not a huge demand for a speaker of Gingrich’s stature (no pun intended).
As the Washington Post points out, Gingrich has come under fire for his money-making — or money-taking — occupations since he left public office. More than a decade ago, Gingrich was paid about $1.5 million for his “historian” role with Freddie Mac. And who could forget the drama over Gingrich’s six-figure debt to Tiffany & Co. jewelers?
So maybe it’s ok for the guy to have a quiet place — or two — to get away from it all.
