Government Watchdog Alleges Sinema Misused Campaign Funds for Private Travel

Despite not seeking reelection, outgoing Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) allegedly still billed $200,000 in travel expenses to her campaign for personal use, prompting the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) to file a complaint against her.

The Arizona Republic described how CREW's complaint was not the first time Sen. Sinema's travel expenses were under scrutiny, as the Change for Arizona group filed a similar complaint last May, alleging that she "jets off to Europe to fundraise with billionaires, but she refuses to hold a public town hall or even take a meeting with us, and on behalf of every Arizonan, we deserve answers," said the group's senior adviser Luis Avila.

Sen. Sinema spokeswoman Hannah Hurley fought back against the original accusation, saying, "It's not surprising that desperate political attacks from dark money Super PACs are based on lies. There's no standing here, and Kyrsten remains laser-focused on delivering lasting solutions to the challenges we face — including addressing our border crisis and ensuring Arizonans are protected from a national default."

However, the Arizona Senator has not commented on the new allegations brought forth by CREW, which uncovered apparent use of campaign funds by Sinema for trips to London, Paris, Normandy, Tokyo, Rome, Milan, and Boston, spending thousands on lodging, food, and other expenses, despite her decision not to seek reelection at the beginning of March.

In a statement, CREW's President Noah Bookbinder said, "The law applies to you whether it's your first week in office or your last. Spending thousands of dollars of campaign contributions on yourself is even more troubling when it comes after you've announced you're no longer a candidate."

"The rule of thumb is that any dollar your campaign spends has to be for the campaign–it can't just be for your own personal benefit. It's hard to see how any of this spending was for the benefit of the campaign," Bookbinder added.

In a recent interview with Semafor, Sinema announced her intentions of leaving politics behind, saying, "I think, maybe, this is a place where sometimes people say things that they don't mean. I am not one of those people; I think I'm highly predictable."