Swalwell campaign spends thousands of dollars on luxury hotels, expensive meals, and $5,000 lunches
This year, when the Democratic congressman has been traveling around the country, he’s taken to spending thousands of dollars on dining and hotel stays, and on a $5,000 lunch, even though the Washington Post reported he is “a notorious frugal meal-taker.”
“I guess every member of Congress is going to have a fancy lunch at the hotel,” he said.
That’s not the first time he has found himself at a fancy hotel, because he’s traveled the country in a rented plane, and the Congressional Travel & Tourism Office pays for his travel costs — usually, about $1,000 per night.
The $5,000 lunches are not typical, but in the past, the campaign has paid for more gourmet meals.
Here’s a list of the things he’s eaten in the past four years.
June 22, 2015: Lunch at the Waldorf Astoria, in Washington.
“It’s a restaurant,” he said. “We dine.”
July 12, 2016: After a $2,600 lunch for House Financial Services committee members, the congressman had dinner with his father, who is a former chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board. The two men had their first conversation about the financial crisis, according to congressman’s staff.
June 13, 2017: A $6,700 meal at the InterContinental Hotel.
July 19, 2017: $3,200 lunch at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
July 20, 2017: A $2,600 lunch at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington.
March 21, 2018: $2,700 lunch, including dessert, at the Park Lane Hotel near New York City.
“I’ve had a great time here,” he said.
June 7, 2018: Lunch at the