The more obvious question involves the use of campaign funds to pay for what appears to be a family trip to California last August. Stutzman's campaign reports according to the AP report listed more than $2,000 in expenditures for airline tickets for four, van rental and a Hilton Hotel bill. Stutzman's wife posted pictures of the family trip on her Facebook account, including pictures taken at the Reagan presidential library, which have since been deleted. The report notes Stutzman has spent over $300,000 since going to Washington from his campaign account for travel-related expenses. His campaign manager denied there was anything not in compliance with FEC rules and regulations. The optics don't look good and that really doesn't answer the question of why the campaign paid for what appears to be a family vacation.
The AP also delves into a murkier area of how much Stutzman has been reimbursed by his congressional office for travel within his district. The AP cites an 8-month period in 2015 when Stutzman was reimbursed $13,000 for mileage driven on a personal vehicle, which the reporter equates to 40 round trips from Stutzman's home in Howe, Indiana to the southernmost border touching Louisville, Kentucky. Stutzman's campaign declined to answer questions about the mileage reimbursements according to the reporter, which doesn't help make the issue go away as former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock learned the hard way when he dismissed initial reports about his personal spending habits. He not only had to resign his seat but has also faced a months-long federal grand jury investigation that has drawn many of those closest to him into the legal proceedings. Stutzman's folks don't appear to be handling this story any better at this point, which may mean that it continues to be an issue right up to election day, a story he can ill afford to have hanging over him in a close contest.
I've looked at campaign finance reports for many years, and I've often seen spending that appears to be questionable. I used to comment frequently on some of the more questionable expenditures, which normally has been met with a collective yawn by our mainstream media folks. I believe our elected representatives need to be held accountable for what they report to the government, but I also dislike the media's selective indignation over the manner in which representatives spend their campaign funds. A guy like Stutzman who touts himself as a conservative, anti-government type is often singled out for greater scrutiny than someone who is more of an establishment type favored by many in the media. It's not fair, but that's the way it is. State Rep. Justin Moed (D) gets to remain in office after he sends nude photos of himself to a porn actress and buys gifts for her using his campaign account without any uproar from the media, while State Rep. Jud McMillin (R) is forced to resign when someone stole his cell phone and distributed a sex video found on it to his personal contacts. Lots of politicians claim false residences when running for office, but it's only been a serious legal problem for one person. Life isn't fair.
UPDATE: The Indianapolis Star is now reporting that Stutzman has reimbursed his campaign committee $2,000 for the airline expense he paid for his family members on that trip to California. His campaign spokesperson says he did perform campaign-related activities while on the trip but decided in an abundance of caution to reimburse the campaign those costs. �Out of an abundance of caution, knowing that some of the trip was for personal time, the entire portion was reimbursed,� Josh Kelley said. The Star notes that Stutzman's opponent's hands aren't entirely clean when it comes to campaign finance law compliance. Todd Young's campaign was fined $8,670 by the FEC in 2012 for failing to timely report more than $75,000 he received in campaign contributions.
I had forgotten about this story I posted on a year ago. It involved a controversial trip Aaron Schock took to Saudi Arabia that was paid for by the Saudi government, but Schock failed to properly disclose the Saudi government had paid for the trip. Stutzman was on that same 10-day, 2011 trip with Rep. Schock; however, Stutzman properly reported that the Saudi government had financed the trip. I noted at that time the irony that the purpose of the trip was to discuss counter-terrorism given that a Saudi prince who participated in that visit had been tied to the financing of the 9/11 hijackers.
UPDATE: The Indianapolis Star is now reporting that Stutzman has reimbursed his campaign committee $2,000 for the airline expense he paid for his family members on that trip to California. His campaign spokesperson says he did perform campaign-related activities while on the trip but decided in an abundance of caution to reimburse the campaign those costs. �Out of an abundance of caution, knowing that some of the trip was for personal time, the entire portion was reimbursed,� Josh Kelley said. The Star notes that Stutzman's opponent's hands aren't entirely clean when it comes to campaign finance law compliance. Todd Young's campaign was fined $8,670 by the FEC in 2012 for failing to timely report more than $75,000 he received in campaign contributions.
I had forgotten about this story I posted on a year ago. It involved a controversial trip Aaron Schock took to Saudi Arabia that was paid for by the Saudi government, but Schock failed to properly disclose the Saudi government had paid for the trip. Stutzman was on that same 10-day, 2011 trip with Rep. Schock; however, Stutzman properly reported that the Saudi government had financed the trip. I noted at that time the irony that the purpose of the trip was to discuss counter-terrorism given that a Saudi prince who participated in that visit had been tied to the financing of the 9/11 hijackers.
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