Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema has been accused of improperly using campaign funds for personal travel, including trips to Europe, Japan, Aspen, and California wine country.
A watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), claims she used the funds to cover charter flights, hotels, meals, and catering that had no connection to her campaign or official duties... Continue reading here ▶
The nonprofit filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) last week, urging them to investigate and refer the matter to the Department of Justice. According to CREW, Sinema’s spending may have violated campaign finance laws, which prohibit using campaign funds for personal expenses unrelated to the campaign or official government work.
The complaint highlights that Sinema announced she wouldn’t run for re-election in March 2024, months before her campaign reportedly spent over $100,000 on personal travel expenses.
CREW alleges that these expenses had no link to her campaign activities, with the campaign receiving no notable contributions afterward, aside from a single unitemized dollar.
Campaign finance reports reviewed by the Arizona Republic show that Sinema’s campaign billed $216,000 for travel between July and September 2024, along with an additional $152,000 for security. Some expenses included:
- $7,990.57 for travel-related costs in Boston, including high-end restaurants and catering services.
- $15,014.66 for trips to Sonoma, California, and Aspen, Colorado, which CREW claims were unrelated to campaign activities.
- Over $4,500 for lodging, car services, and catered meals during a trip to London.
- More than $3,000 spent in Italy.
- $800 for train tickets in Europe.
She also reportedly attended the Paris Olympics and traveled to Tokyo during this period.
Noah Bookbinder, president of CREW, stated, “Campaign funds must be used for campaign purposes, not personal benefit. It’s hard to see how this spending benefited the campaign.”
Sinema, whose term ends on January 3, has faced similar accusations in the past. Last year, a group called Change for Arizona 2024, also known as the “Replace Sinema” PAC, filed a similar complaint, though no formal action was taken.
Political experts suggest that these complaints rarely lead to significant consequences, particularly as Sinema is not seeking re-election.
Sinema and her team have not responded to the recent allegations, as they’ve been out of the office since December 20.
