ABC 11 provides some examples of the expenses Gov. Mike Easley incurred on his trip to Italy:

  • The five star luxury Marriot Grand Hotel Flora in Rome cost $785.56 a night
  • A four star hotel in Florence cost $336.61 a night (Easley spent $106.27 on a laundry service, too)
  • Easley and several guests dined at the Trattoria Alle Testiere in Venice for $958.44.
  • $125 for a piece of Ben Owens pottery and $95 for UPS shipments

Some explanation of the expenditures:

The Department of Commerce says the expenses were worth it. “It’s clearly expensive and I understand people’s concerns but I also believe strongly that this kind of mission is very important for North Carolina to participate in and to have the governor participate in it is doubly important, especially now when the dollar is not in a very strong position,” says Katharine Neal, communications secretary at the Department of Commerce.