Nonprofit pays Schwarzenegger travel bills

SACRAMENTO, July 5 (UPI) -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been billing overseas travel expenses to a nonprofit group that offers full tax deductions to donors.

The California State Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit group that keeps donors' identities secret, has been picking up the tab on many of Schwarzenegger's trips -- including expenses for top-of-the-line private jets and high-end hotel suites, The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

Daniel Borochoff, president of the nonprofit watchdog American Institute of Philanthropy, said the use of the charitable write-offs for travel expenses may constitute an abuse of tax codes.

"Wow, that's a problem," he told the Times. "Why should our tax dollars subsidize his lavish lifestyle?"

Borochoff and other experts said the California State Protocol Foundation could be a tool used by interests seeking to enter the governor's good graces, the Times reported. They said the charity doesn't fall under the jurisdiction of rules that require disclosure for campaign contributions and they also don't have limits on the size of the donations.