Taxpayer Funds Used to Renovate Embassy Pools in Conflict Zones, Report Says

Turns out, the U.S. State Department has been spending over a million dollars fixing up swimming pools — not here at home, but at American embassies overseas, including in places like Iraq, Sudan, and Haiti. That’s according to a new report from Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa.

The report says more than $1.2 million in taxpayer money was used to renovate at least 13 embassy pools across seven countries. For example, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad got a cool $444,000 to replace the indoor pool’s dehumidification system. Meanwhile, $41,000 went toward fixing up the embassy pool in Moscow — just a few months after Russia’s war in Ukraine started.

Even the consulate in Erbil, Iraq got some attention — over $10,000 worth of pool repairs. And back in 2021, when Sudan was already on the State Department’s “do not travel” list due to violent conflict, the embassy there spent $24,000 installing a pool deck.

The spending didn’t stop there. There were also pool projects in Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Russia.

Senator Ernst isn’t happy about it. She says this kind of spending is out of touch, especially when Americans are dealing with inflation and the government is talking about tightening the budget.

The State Department hasn’t made any public comments on the report yet, but it’s definitely raising eyebrows — especially with growing questions in Washington about how U.S. money is being used abroad.

With input from Fox News