Arizona Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema allegedly went on a spending spree using campaign funds, according to new filings.
Federal Election Commission filings show that the former Democrat shelled out $265,521 in security costs between October 1, 2023, and December 31, part of a total of $796,565 that was expended “on posh hotels, a new car, and even concert tickets,” the New York Post reported.
This was clearly over the reported $594,816 in funds she had raised.
“Of the money she spent on security, $77,000 went to a new Chevrolet and $1,523 went to event tickets for her security guards — including $490 at Red Rocks Amphitheater — a popular event venue in Colorado,” the New York Post reported Thursday. “Sinema purchased the tickets on a day when no concert was held, obscuring what event she went to or plans to attend. The car was described as ‘van,’ also making it impossible to determine the level of luxury involved.”
The senator is “behind schedule in making a decision about whether to seek re-election in Arizona,” according to The New York Times which noted the lack of funding for a campaign and no evidence that preliminary work has been done to effectively make a reelection bid. Signatures from at least 40,000 registered voters have to be submitted by April 8 for Sinema to make it on the ballot.
As an independent, Sinema would be up against challengers from both parties, including Democrat Representative Ruben Gallego and Kari Lake, former GOP gubernatorial candidate.
Kyrsten Sinema splashed campaign cash on $77,000 car, $265,000 ‘security’ bill, concerts, limos in Paris
Thomas Jones, president of the American Accountability Foundation:
“Sen. Sinema’s use of campaign funds for seemingly personal expenses raises serious ethical questions. It… pic.twitter.com/lR8F5vRw8q
— ❣️Anne❣️ (@USA_Anne711) February 2, 2024
“Sen. Sinema’s use of campaign funds for seemingly personal expenses raises serious ethical questions. It also raises overall questions regarding the Senator’s judgment,” Thomas Jones, president of the American Accountability Foundation told The Post.
“Particularly disturbing is the campaign’s extravagant spending on security even as leftists like Sinema make Americans less safe by attacking police… This is elitist hypocrisy at its worst,” he added.
The new filings show Sinema has $10.6 million in the bank, which Hannah Hurley, Sinema’s spokeswoman, told the New York Times is “enough to start an effective campaign.”
The FEC filings showed that the “Getting Stuff Done PAC”— Sinema’s personal political action committee— spent more than $5,800 on first-class airfare during the second half of 2023.
“Beyond the private airfare, the PAC also underwrote the Arizona senator’s stays in July and October 2023 at the five-star Le Roch Hotel & Spa in Paris, for a total of $7,600, and paid the tab for her $2,500 stay in July at the Edition Hotel in Madrid, billed as a ‘luxury lifestyle urban five-star resort.'” according to the Daily Beast.
“Sinema’s campaign, meanwhile, shelled out nearly $2,000 in November 2023 to Corporate Paris, a high-end car service based in Paris which operates internationally; it also paid $434 in October for a ticket on the Eurostar high-speed rail line, best known for shuttling passengers between London and Paris,” the outlet added.
The lavish spending has left many wondering if Sinema is trying to use up the funds in her coffers before potentially announcing she will not be running for reelection.
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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