Eight years ago this week, Congressman Dennis Rehberg was still recuperating after an embarrassing fall following a night of drinking and debauchery in the Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.  Nice.

There have been plenty of news stories about the infamous trip by Rehberg and Senator Conrad Burns.  But several questions are still begging to be answered all these years later.

Look closely at public documents recapping the cost of Rehberg’s taxpayer-funded vacation in Kazakhstan, and you’ll find that Rehberg spent more than twice what Burns did.  According to the paper trail, both Rehberg and Burns went to and returned from Kazakhstan via Ireland courtesy the U.S. military.

Rehberg spent $981 in Ireland ($654 on the way to Kazakhstan and $327 on his way home), and another $875 in Kazakhstan, for a grand total of $1,856 in taxpayer money.  And that doesn’t include the cost of Air Force travel.

But similar records show Burns and his staffer, Michael Rawson, each spent only $406.50 in Ireland ($249.50 on their way to Kazakhstan and $157 on their way home), and another $410 in Kazakhstan. Their total was only $816.50 each—less than half of what Rehberg spent.

So why did Dennis Rehberg spend more than twice what Burns spent in the Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan?  Where are the detailed expense reports? Those are good questions that probably ought to be asked of him.  Must have been one heck of a party.