Joe Manchin recently dropped over $50,000 in donor cash on lavish dining, travel expenditures
Fox News
Sen. Joe Manchin’s committees racked up significant charges on high-end dining and travel expenses in the first quarter of the year, continuing a trend of extravagant spending heading into the 2024 election cycle.
The West Virginia Democrat spent over $50,000 from his campaign, leadership PAC and joint fundraising committee on the expenses in Washington, D.C., and other areas outside his home state, with costs running higher than $7,000 at some establishments.
Most of the spending came from Manchin’s campaign, which disbursed nearly $20,000 in charges at D.C. restaurants for catering services, according to a Fox News Digital review of campaign finance records.
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The Manchin campaign’s lavish D.C. spending went to various high-end restaurants, including $5,730.90 at Mi Vida, a premium Mexican eatery, and $5,189.66 at Bobby Van’s, a well-known steakhouse considered a top-tier dining destination in the city, the filings show.
Additionally, the campaign reported $4,037.25 in charges at Joe’s Seafood, known for its tuxedo-clad service and fresh daily seafood; $2,600 at Café Milano, a famous Italian restaurant and meeting spot for D.C. elites; and $1,028.15 at the Capitol Yacht Club, where he docks his luxury yacht.
The West Virginia senator’s committees also spent extravagantly on hotel accommodations, including four- and five-star resorts.
Manchin’s campaign doled out $7,120 at Houston’s luxurious Four Seasons resort, known for its 5-star amenities such as a perfumery boutique and exclusive experiences like the Four Seasons driving experience. Guests can enjoy luxury vehicles and Michelin-starred meals arranged by the hotel.
His joint fundraising committee, meanwhile, dropped $5,510.03 at the Brown Palace in Denver, Colorado, a four-star hotel with six restaurants and bars and a boutique spa.
And while Manchin pushed large sums into catering costs, fellow West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, reported just $4,351 in similar expenses during the first quarter from her campaign and leadership PAC.
Overall, just 29% of Manchin’s total expenditures went to places in West Virginia between January and the beginning of April, the filings show.
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“Sen. Manchin’s bipartisan and common sense message continues to inspire Americans that there is a productive way forward for West Virginia and our entire country,” a Manchin campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
“He has always been and will continue to be in complete compliance with all Senate ethics and financial disclosure rules,” the campaign spokesperson said.
Manchin’s spending habits previously garnered media attention. The Daily Mail reported in January that his committees spent over $1.1 million on high-end dining over the past 12 years. Much of the spending was at the same places where he spent a notable amount during the first quarter of this year.
Manchin has said he would decide whether to run for re-election later this year.