Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) is facing a complaint from a political group seeking to oust her from office, accusing the former Democrat of misusing campaign funds to live “a lifestyle of luxury” at the expense of her constituents.
Replace Sinema, a political action committee created to do just that, filed the complaint with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday, citing reports that Sinema has used campaign donations to pay for expensive trips to places such as London and Paris as well as for lodging and food. The group accused Sinema of misrepresenting those expenses by falsely reporting them as “legitimate uses of campaign funds.”
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“Senator Sinema has been living a lifestyle of luxury financed by her special interest donors, to the detriment of her constituents in Arizona,” the complaint states. “While Sinema is on international trips or running marathons or pursuing her high-end wine hobby — each of which has been subsidized by campaign donors — Arizona families are struggling with an increased cost of living and a housing crisis partially fueled by the very same private equity firms that donate to Senator Sinema’s campaigns.”
The complaint alleges Sinema has spent more than $180,000 in campaign funds on luxury hotels and resorts as well as car services, charter flights, expensive restaurants, and visits to wineries.
The group argued those expenses could not be justified as being campaign-related, noting the costs and services were far more expensive than what would be considered typical. Furthermore, the PAC argued the payments were made “in locations that a candidate for the United States Senate from Arizona would not be reasonably likely to be called upon to visit for campaign purposes.”
The expenses in question were made between 2019 and 2022, a time frame in which Sinema, who was elected in 2018, would not be actively campaigning, the group argued. Sinema has also not announced whether she intends to run for reelection in 2024, prompting criticism for her frequent use of campaign cash.
“The next election in which she could face an opponent is on November 5, 2024, almost a year and a half in the future,” the complaint states. “She has not declared her intent to compete in that election; in fact, as recently as April 21, 2023, on the record and on camera, she declined to comment to a television news reporter for Arizona-based KTVK/KTVO on whether she intends to run for reelection at all.”
Sinema has denied the allegations, denouncing the complaint as a “desperate” opposition scheme.
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“It’s not surprising that desperate political attacks from dark money Super PACs are based on lies,” a spokesperson for the senator told AZCentral. “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.”
The FEC complaint requires a response from Sinema, but such matters could take months — or even years — before they are resolved. A spokesperson for the senator has not yet responded to a request for comment by the Washington Examiner.
