Swalwell campaign continues lavish spending, including at 5-star Dubai resort, luxury car service
Fox News
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Eric Swalwell’s campaign has regularly dropped large amounts of money on luxury items such as posh hotels, flights, yachts and limousines, including international travel.
The California Democrat has continued the trend as far away from his district as the United Arab Emirates in the final three months of 2023, Federal Election Commission filings reviewed by Fox News Digital show.
According to its year-end filings, Swalwell’s committee reported three payments for nearly $1,700 in Dubai at the five-star Burj Al Arab Hotel, considered the city’s “most iconic hotel” and one of the tallest hotels in the world.
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The Burj Al Arab Hotel boasts of being a “global icon of Arabian luxury.” It features an array of suites starting at around $1,300 per night and has a private beach, two outdoor and indoor swimming pools, a spa, eight restaurants and two bars, among other amenities.
The Dubai expense, however, was not the only time his campaign spent internationally in 2023. The committee previously paid thousands of dollars for hotels and restaurants in London and Germany earlier in the year.
Swalwell’s committee spent nearly $90,000 on travel expenses during the last three months of 2023 alone, including at various other hotels such as 1 Hotel San Francisco, Austin Proper Hotel and the Times Square Edition, the filings show.
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On top of the hotels, the travel expenses included nearly $47,000 in airfare, primarily with United and American Airlines. His committee also spent nearly $45,000 on private security and just under $7,000 on Sunny’s Executive Sedan, which offers its clients limousines and other luxury cars and SUVs.
The Swalwell campaign’s disbursement report also showed the campaign dropping more than $1,200 on the “Washington Suite Life,” which promotes itself as the “premier luxury suite brokerage firm” in Washington, D.C. There is also a $5,364 payment to “Fan Experiences LLC,” a company that helps with tickets to sporting events and concerts. The company specializes in NCAA and NFL tickets.
One listing in the report shows a $1,560 charge on Dec. 4 for “Fundraising Event Tickets” at Aramark at Lincoln Financial Field, which is where the Philadelphia Eagles play. According to the Eagles’ schedule, they played the San Francisco 49ers a day earlier. Swalwell has cheered on the 49ers in several social media posts in past years.
The campaign report also shows thousands of dollars being spent on luxury restaurants in D.C.: $871 was spent on four transactions at Charlie Palmer’s; $895 was spent on two transactions at El Presidente; more than $600 was spent on three transactions at Four Seasons Bourbon Steakhouse; $717 was spent on two transactions at Joe’s Seafood, among other charges.
Swalwell’s campaign also spent nearly $17,000 on Just Dreaming Yacht Charters, a San Francisco agency that offers “relaxing and luxurious” private yachts for up to 40 passengers, as a fundraising expense.
Swalwell’s campaign has routinely disbursed large amounts on travel accommodations despite only having three paid staffers. Throughout the 2022 election cycle, his campaign even spent more on travel and luxury accommodations than then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
During that time, Swalwell’s committee spent $583,000 on travel while Pelosi’s spent $434,000.
Swalwell’s campaign did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.