Hunter Biden’s wife grabbed an iced coffee from a Starbucks near her new Malibu home – and hit American taxpayers with a hefty bill of around $285, DailyMail.com can reveal.
Melissa Cohen, mom of Biden’s one-year-old son Beau, was seen being escorted by two Secret Service agents in a government Ford Expedition as she stopped for a brew on Tuesday.
One agent stayed at the wheel of the blue SUV parked at the curb, while the other carefully opened a rear door for her as she returned to the vehicle carrying a tray.
Melissa Cohen’s recent trip to Starbucks in Malibu cost taxpayers $285, DailyMail.com can reveal
Hunter Biden’s wife was seen being escorted by two Secret Service agents in a government Ford Expedition as she stopped for a brew near the couple’s new home on Tuesday
One agent stayed at the wheel of the blue SUV parked at the curb, while the other carefully opened a rear door for her as she returned to the vehicle carrying a tray
A smiling Cohen appeared happy and in good spirits during the taxpayer-funded outing
Biden, 51, and Cohen, 34, have been given 24-hour Secret Service protection at their stunning new 3,000sq ft four-bedroom home in California, rented for $20,000 a month.
Average salaries for top agents – such as those closely protecting President Joe Biden’s family – are $148,437 a year, according to job review website Glassdoor.com.
The six-figure sum amounts to an approximate hourly rate of $71.36, meaning taxpayers are forking over $285.44 for the coffee run in a two-hour jaunt.
Because the SUV is a government vehicle, there are also the gas prices to consider.
And the cost could be even higher. Three years ago then-President Trump raised the cap on Secret Service agents’ earnings to $189,000 a year, including overtime.
But smiling Cohen, a social activist and filmmaker from South Africa, appeared happy to use government resources to keep her refreshed before heading to her new pad.
Secret Service agents are reported to earn $148,437 a year – an approximate hourly rate of $71.36 – meaning taxpayers are forking over $285.44 for Cohen’s two-hour coffee run
She wore a beige crisscross wrap top over a yellow tank top, white tights, slides, and a maroon cardigan
The president’s son and daughter-in-law have been given 24-hour Secret Service protection at their stunning new 3,000sq ft four-bedroom home in California, rented for $20,000 a month
She wore a beige crisscross wrap top over a yellow tank top, white tights, slides, and a maroon cardigan.
Cohen was accompanied by a female friend as she walked to the store, but was later seen parting ways with her after picking up a carry-out tray with two iced coffee drinks.
The Secret Service agent, who was dressed in plain clothes, was never too far behind during the outing, and even held the door open for Cohen as she got into the SUV.
Biden and Cohen moved in three months ago, leaving a $5.4million canal-side home in Venice, California, because there was not enough privacy, according to TMZ.
But this place is apparently perfect for the president’s son, who has transitioned to a new career as an artist.
Cohen was accompanied by a female friend as she walked to the store. Both were dressed in workout clothes
The Secret Service agent, who was dressed in plain clothes, was never too far behind during the outing
Cohen and her friend were later seen parting ways after she picked up a carry-out tray with two iced coffee drinks at Starbucks
It has its own studio and Biden reportedly begins his day at 5am with a coffee before heading to work in the converted three-car garage.
There, he creates artwork for his controversial professional debut at a Manhattan gallery this fall – where prices could hit $500,000.
The home boasts 180 degree views of the Pacific ocean, has a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, an indoor-outdoor living room and a great room with a vaulted ceiling. The 0.7-acre lot features a pool, hot tub, stone patio and built-in barbecue.
Neighbors told TMZ that Biden mostly keeps to himself, noting that many haven’t seen the aspiring artist. However, they say the property has been ‘crawling with Secret Service agents’.
The Harvard-educated lawyer’s art debut will see prices ranging from $75,000 for pieces on paper to $500,000 for large-scale paintings, according to his art dealer, Georges Bergès.
Biden and Cohen married in May, 2019, reportedly six days after they met
Hunter Biden, who recently transitioned to a career as an artist, is renting a $20,000-per-month home (pictured) in Malibu complete with four bedrooms, 2.5 baths and an art studio
Concerns over whether buyers of his paintings would try to use the transactions to curry favor with the Biden administration have put officials in an ethics bind.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki claimed that the gallerist ‘will be the only person who handles transactions or conversations in that vein and will reject any offer that is out of the ordinary’. She said Biden will not know who has purchased his art.
The president’s son was previously married to Kathleen Buhle and had children Naomi, Finnegan and Maisy.
But they split in 2015 and divorced in 2017 – the year he had a brief fling with Lunden Alexis Roberts, who gave birth to their child known as ‘Baby Doe’.
Biden and Cohen married in May, 2019, reportedly six days after they met.