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.
David Taintor
David Taintor is TPM’s News Editor. He contributes to TPM’s Livewire coverage, among other areas. David is from Chanhassen, Minnesota, where, yes, it gets very cold. Reach him at taintor [at] talkingpointsmemo.com
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