Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema is facing some serious accusations about how she’s been spending her campaign funds. According to a government watchdog group, Sinema has been using the money on luxurious trips to places like Europe, Japan, Aspen, and California wine country. The group says she splurged on private flights, fancy hotels, catering, and meals that don’t seem to have anything to do with her campaign or official Senate work.
The nonprofit group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) last week. They’re urging the FEC to dig deeper into these allegations and even involve the Department of Justice. According to CREW, Sinema might have broken the law by using campaign donations for personal expenses, which isn’t allowed under election rules.
In their complaint, CREW explained that campaign funds can’t be used for anything that a candidate would need to pay for in their personal life, whether or not they’re running for office. They believe Sinema treated her campaign money like a personal piggy bank, paying for things that had nothing to do with her job as a senator or her political efforts.
What makes this situation even more surprising is that Sinema announced in March she wouldn’t run for reelection. That was eight months before Election Day, yet her campaign spent over $100,000 on what looks like personal travel. After these expenses, her campaign, Sinema for Arizona, reportedly didn’t receive any new contributions, except for one unitemized dollar.
Between July and September, Sinema reportedly spent about $216,000 on travel alone, plus another $152,000 on security. Some of these trips included stops in places like Boston, Aspen, and California. For example, in Boston, she allegedly racked up nearly $8,000 in travel-related costs, including meals at high-end restaurants and catering services. In one instance, she spent over $3,600 on catering from Davio’s in Boston and $2,000 at the Empire restaurant and lounge.
Her travels didn’t stop there. Sinema reportedly went to Sonoma, California, and Aspen, Colorado, spending over $15,000 in late summer on trips that don’t appear tied to fundraising or Senate duties. She even made international trips, including attending the Paris Olympics in August and visiting Tokyo. In London, she reportedly spent $4,500 on hotels, car services, and catered meals, plus $800 on train tickets. In Italy, her expenses topped $3,000.
CREW’s president, Noah Bookbinder, said campaign money must be used strictly for campaign purposes, not for personal enjoyment. He added, “It’s hard to see how any of this spending was for the benefit of the campaign.”
This isn’t the first time Sinema has faced scrutiny for her spending. Last year, she was investigated for similar allegations after a group called Change for Arizona 2024, or the “Replace Sinema” group, filed a complaint. However, those allegations didn’t lead to significant consequences.
Political experts say complaints like these don’t often result in major penalties, especially since Sinema is leaving office when her term ends on January 3. Her team hasn’t commented on the latest complaint, as they’ve been out of the office since December 20.
