NJ-02:Van Drew Spent Almost $30k on Washington Eateries, Sometimes on Days He Skipped COVID Meetings
According to explosive reporting from the New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein, vulnerable Republican Jefferson Van Drew spent nearly $30,000 in campaign cash at fancy Washington steakhouses. And at the height of the greatest public health crisis and economic crisis in a generation, Van Drew missed critical House committee meetings related to the COVID-19 outbreak, including some on the same days as his extravagant meals.
“While thousands of restaurants and other businesses across New Jersey were forced to close their doors, Jefferson Van Drew—wearing his signature jaunty suits I’m sure—spent thousands of dollars in campaign cash dining at some of the most elite steakhouses in Washington,” said DCCC Spokesperson Christine Bennett. “And at the same time, during the height of the crisis, Van Drew skipped crucial House committee meetings related to the COVID-19 outbreak. If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about Jefferson Van Drew, I don’t know what will.”
FROM WILDSTEIN’S REPORTING:
After less than two years in Congress, Rep. Jeff Van Drew developed a penchant for fine dining at some of Washington’s swankiest steakhouses, even on days when he had missed House committee meetings.
[…]
During his first term in Congress, Van Drew used his re-election campaign account to pick up nearly $30,000 worth of meals and beverages, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
The timing of one Van Drew dinner could prove problematic in a close race for re-election against Democrat Amy Kennedy.
Records show that Van Drew missed a March 4 Homeland Security Committee hearing on a proposed response to combat the coronavirus pandemic, but then spent $533 at Del Frisco’s the same night.
Ten weeks later, Van Drew skipped an Education and Labor Committee hearing on the effects of COVID-19 on public education, records show the same day, June 1, he charged a $73 meal to his campaign.
The New Jersey Globe reviewed Van Drew’s attendance records at 2020 committee meetings and found that he missed 8 of 13 Homeland Security meetings, including five that concentrated on the pandemic.
Since New Jersey has been under a State of Emergency because of the pandemic, leading to a long-term shutdown of in-person dining, records show that Van Drew has spent over $11,000 eating in Washington restaurants.
[…]
Last month, POLITCO reported that Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) spent more than $70,000 on meals since his election to Congress in 2016.
“It’s concerning when an elected official consistently spends campaign money on fancy meals because it means that the official’s big campaign donors are essentially subsidizing his lifestyle and that gives wealthy donors far too much influence at the expense of the official’s actual constituents,” Adav Noti, a former FEC attorney who now works at the non-partisan Campaign Legal Center, told POLITICO.
It’s not immediately clear if Van Drew’s restaurant bills were campaign expenses.
Van Drew’s campaign did not respond to emails from the NJ Globe at 3:02 PM on Friday and at 8:18 PM on Saturday.
https://dccc.org/new-jersey-globe-van-drew-spent-almost-30k-on-washington-eateries-sometimes-on-days-he-skipped-covid-meetings/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Keep stuffing your fat faces with all those "free meals", you gluttonous porkers! Sooner or later you will pay the price.
