Repub. National Committee Wasted Millions on Private Jets, Limousines, Luxury Retreats, Broadway Shows

A recent review of spending by the Republican National Committee (RNC) finds that the organization meant to get Republicans elected wasted millions on luxurious trips to tropic locales for “meetings.”

Back in 2010 then chair Michael Steele was blasted for lavish spending and the organization instituted a series of spending reforms. But now, as Red State noted, “he RNC’s big-spending days are back with a vengeance.”

Perhaps because of these losses both RNC donors and committee members are intensely interested in the committee’s finances, particularly the spending. Late last week, RedState was provided a report dated October 7, 2022 that examined RNC’s 2021-22 spending. It calculated more than $500,000 in private jet expenses, $64,000 at clothing retailers, and $321,000 in floral arrangements.

To determine how that compared with the rest of Ronna McDaniel’s tenure, RedState examined RNC expenditures from 2017 through 2022. In addition to a review of Federal Elections Commission (FEC) data, RedState spoke with current vendors, state party officials familiar with the workings, former staffers (some from McDaniel’s tenure, and some who worked for prior chairs), and several current RNC members to verify numbers and dates. Most were only willing to discuss the matters on background, and all were promised anonymity to avoid potential retaliation.

It is difficult to accurately categorize all of the expenditures because a significant number of transactions seem to be misclassified. For example, nearly $5,000 spent in 2022 at Lululemon, a luxury athletic apparel brand, was classified as “office expense,” as were two expenditures totaling $9,300 at Madison Square Garden in 2017.

A look at the recent spending finds:

• $3.1 million on private jet services
• $1.3 million on limousine/chauffeur services
• $17.1 million on donor mementos
• $750,000 on floral arrangements
• $80,000 in alcohol-related expenditures

“Nearly $400,000 has been spent on event tickets and other entertainment activities, including $30,000 for a private box at a Las Vegas Raiders game, $13,000 for Broadway shows, $9,400 at Madison Square Garden, and $43,000 at Top Golf locations in Texas, Nevada, Virginia, and Maryland.”

Red Sate has much more at its report, but suffice to say, this spending took millions of dollars out of the hands of candidates and instead it was spent to give RNC members a wonderful time.

It’s this kind of corruption that gives all of politics a bad name.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston

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