Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk got a hold of the Republican National Committee spending reports and the details are just mind-numbing.
It turns out the RNC loves to spend money on limos, consultants (their friends), flowers, and parties. But spend little on things that actually matter to win elections.
For example, data when it comes to maintaining voter files, the DNC spent $1.6 million, and the GOP spent $86,000.
Note that all the figures below are taken from spending during the period between October 20, 2022 and November 30, 2023 as recorded by the FEC.
Below is some of the breakdown:
Floral Arrangements: RNC – $70,328.00 DNC – $795
Consultants: RNC – $1,078,279.47 DNC – $114,000
Office Supplies: RNC – $297,717.64 DNC – $45,005
Limousines: RNC – $263,127.25 DNC – $7,000
Voter File Maintenance: RNC – $39,233.50 DNC – $235,865.88
GOTV Texts: RNC – $86,019 DNC -$1,676,923.29
State Outlays: RNC – $13,800,200 DNC – $23,835,437
As Jennifer Van Laar pointed out the days of frugality are over:
Back in 2010, RNC Chair Michael Steele was heavily criticized and eventually lost his position because donors were angry about what they believed was luxurious spending on private jets, floral arrangements, chauffeur services, and member meetings in expensive tropical locales. Donors were used to frugality from the RNC under the George W. Bush administration, when “Karl Rove would bitch if there were flowers on the tables” and staff holiday parties were catered by Chick-fil-A.
What’s truly staggering is the amount of money the RNC has spent on limousines. The RNC did respond in a memo about the limo costs and claimed they were merely “transportation companies.”
However, an investigation into one of the companies the RNC uses showed something different.
Amalias Limousine in Burbank, California – used by the RNC – says their fleet consists of H2 Hummer stretch, Lincoln Town Car, Chrysler 300 Stretch, Lincoln Navigators, and Cadillac Escalades.
So what was the RNC’s response, they blamed the reporter.
“This story took several days of research, albeit sloppy research, to come to fruition yet the RNC was only given 60 minutes to respond. While that’s an improvement from the last time this dishonest and biased reporter wrote a hit piece on the RNC, where she didn’t give us an opportunity to comment until after publication, the disregard for the truth and transparency still oozes through. For example, our team just took less than 5 minutes to poke through the DNC’s expenses, and found $3 million in ‘consulting’ and over $25,000 in beauty expenses. Yet, in RedState’s initial email to us they claimed the DNC spent $0 on beauty expenses and only $100k on consultants. Do better.”
You can read the entire report here.
NEW — I got an exclusive first look at @jenvanlaar‘s new report on the RNC’s lavish spending on limos, consultants, flowers, and office supplies while skimping on GOTV, data, and state parties:
Floral Arrangements:
RNC – $70,328.00
DNC – $795Consultants:
RNC – $1,078,279.47… pic.twitter.com/Orl9SmZ9Xi— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 1, 2024
