Local politicians from Loudoun County in the American state of Virginia have faced severe criticism for embarking on a trip to Ghana in the middle of June this year.

According to Fox News, concerned residents in the area attended a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, September 5, to express their dissatisfaction with the use of taxpayer dollars by local leaders to finance an extravagant journey to Ghana. The expenses reportedly covered first-class flights, luxurious accommodations at a five-star hotel, fine dining, and other lavish expenditures.

The three officials in question, Phyllis Randall, Koran Saines, and Sylvia Glass, are reported to have expended over $60,000 in public funds during their visit to Ghana, primarily for the purpose of formalizing a sister city agreement with the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA).

Phyllis Randall serves as the Chair of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, with Koran Saines as her vice-chair, and Sylvia Glass as a Supervisor on the Board.

Randall responds to allegations:

Randall denied utilizing tax payer money to pay for the vacations in a statement to Fox 5.

"I don’t travel on county taxpayer revenue and never have," she said, according to the outlet. "It’s a policy I put in place when I came to office in 2016."

But according to the source, Randall did not pay for the money himself. They originated from the transitory occupancy tax collected by the economic development authority, which is typically borne by outsiders visiting Loudoun County rather than locals.

"There are people who are rebelling in their ignorance while ignoring the truth because they don’t want the answer, they want the issue," Randall said during Tuesday's meeting.

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