You have to get very far into this Politico story before it mentions that all of this is "compliant with government guidelines," that is to say
not all that surprising.
By Election Day 2016, taxpayers will have paid out more than $16 million to fund Bill Clinton’s pension, travel, office expenses and even the salaries and benefits of staff at his family’s foundation, federal records show.
Since he left the White House in 2001, Clinton and his office have received more money through the Former Presidents Act than any other ex-president, according to a POLITICO analysis of budget documents.
The Former Presidents Act gives former presidents (hence the name) a travel budget, a staffing budget, office rental and similar ongoing benefits commensurate with their role as one of the most visible former leaders on the planet. (They also get continued Secret Service protection.) This is because it would look bad for the former leader o' the free world to be reduced to making a living selling life insurance on the teevee or washing cars in the Exxon corporate parking garage, and because in general we presume they will still be out there trying to make a difference in the world even after doing their stint. Much of it is capped (salaries), other parts are more variable (rent).
So yes, those expenses for a currently active and involved and highly visible former president would probably tend to be considerably higher than the expenses for the fellow who spends his days in his basement painting portraits of charismatic dogs.
Or, you know, not.
[S]ince former President George W. Bush left office in 2009, he has outpaced Clinton in the value of benefits received from the GSA — $9.2 million versus $8.3 million — according to POLITICO’s analysis.
All right then.