Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, aides spend $32,000 on Europe trade trip

PHOENIX - Gov. Jan Brewer and two aides spent nearly $32,000 on a two-week trade promotion trip to Europe earlier this year, with thousands of dollars going for first-class air fares and hotel cancellation fees.

Brewer and the aides went to Britain, Germany and France in May and June for a conference, a trade seminar and other meetings.

Nearly half of the funding came from private sources. The rest came from tax dollars.

Trans-Atlantic air travel cost $14,000. A private funded commerce booster group paid to upgrade Brewer and her chief of staff to first class.

A state promotional account funded by private donations paid $4,160 in cancellation fees to a Paris hotel.

Spokesman Matthew Benson says Brewer's party stayed at a different hotel because the first wasn't suitable for business travel.