Congressional PAC Expenses
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer (link via Squalor in the Holler) comes a listing of expenses some Senators and Congressmen billed to their PACs in 2003-2004:
John Boehner, (R-Ohio) --- $53,855 on greens fees, $47,357 for Boehner and guests to dine at Sam & Harry's, a top Washington steak house;
Jim McCrery (R-La.) --- $173,053 for golf tournaments and related expenses;
Tom Reynolds (R-NY) --- $117,825 on Pebble Beach events, including greens fees, lodging and catering;
Michael Oxley (R-Ohio) --- $25,493 for chauffeurs to transport him around New York City, $63,544 for ski trips and fund-raisers in Colorado (I guess he doesn’t play golf);
Eric Cantor (R-Va.) --- $39,012 on events and meals at Beverly Wilshire Hotel and Wolfgang Puck's Spago Beverly Hills;
Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) --- $39,794 for executive jet service;
Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) --- $19,451 for meals from the U.S. Senate Restaurant.
I do not find that list particularly surprising or shocking, but I do admit to a bit of jealousy. I would love to find out what it is like to spend $117,000 of other people's money playing golf at Peeble Beach.
Comments
"Jim McCrery (R-La.) --- $173,053 for golf tournaments and related expenses;
Tom Reynolds (R-NY) --- $117,825 on Pebble Beach events, including greens fees, lodging and catering;"
These sound like fundraising events and thus charging the expenses of raising money is perfectly reasonable. But I would not expect the former treasurer of a party that has not filed a finance report with the state since July of 2003 to understand that.
Posted by: S. Roberts | April 1, 2005 05:36 PM
S. Roberts:
I did not suggest that there was anything wrong with those expenses. Indeed, I wrote that I was not surprised or shocked by them.
In addition, the only party of which I have ever been the treasurer was my wife's last birthday party.
Posted by: dwight Meredith | April 1, 2005 07:24 PM