In the second quarter of 2023, the Sinema campaign’s payments to [Tulsi Gabbard’s sister’s] company jumped to $114,000—more than three times what it had paid her in the first quarter of the year
Bellord also draws taxpayer-funded salary from Sinema’s Senate office
A new report from the Daily Beast reveals that even after campaign watchdog groups and the press has called out Kyrsten Sinema’s campaign for spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for so-called security services – in addition to the hundreds of thousands on luxury experiences like private jets and limousines – the Sinema campaign has continued to pay TOA Group, solely owned and operated by Tulsi Gabbard’s sister, Vrindavan Bellord.
What’s more, after these reports surfaced, Sinema’s campaign appears to have altered the way they report Bellord’s expenses. As the Daily Beast notes, “Sinema simply lists un-itemized lump sum payments of $45,702 for “security travel expenses” and $2,448 for “reimbursed security detail travel meals & supplies,” making it impossible for regulators and the public to know or scrutinize what expenses of Bellord’s were covered by Sinema’s donors.”
One campaigns ethics expert said he has never seen anything resembling the relationship between Sinema’s campaign and TOA Group: “Over the last two reporting cycles, fully 20 percent of Sinema’s campaign spending has gone to a single firm run by a close associate. I’ve never seen anything like that,” the expert said.
“I would expect both Sinema’s donors and her constituents have a right to know how she is spending campaign funds,” he continued.
As the Daily Beast noted:
“While it’s normal for high-profile politicians to spend heavily on security these days, many contract with reputable third-party companies or work with a roster of personnel to meet their needs—not a single entity with no other political clients.
Bellord also draws a taxpayer-funded salary from Sinema’s official office, an arrangement cited as “exceedingly rare in the realm of security” by experts.
“Between spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on security to protect her from her constituents, and never holding a public town hall, it’s clear Kyrsten Sinema thinks she’s above having to answer for her actions,” said Sacha Haworth, Replace Sinema spokesperson. “Sinema already has the cloud of an FEC investigation looming over her head; no doubt this behavior invites even more scrutiny.”
Read the complete Daily Beast story here: Kyrsten Sinema Is Still Paying Tulsi Gabbard’s Sister a Fortune for Security
In May, based on the reports that Sinema spent campaign funds on luxury hotels, car services, private jets, high-end restaurants, wine, and in pursuit of her athletic hobby, the Replace Sinema PAC filed a 27-page formal FEC complaint against Sinema for illegal campaign spending. As one Arizona ethics expert said: “When I read this FEC complaint, I was shocked – and I’ve seen a lot of political corruption in my life.” The complaint also raised questions about a $700,000 disbursement to her friend Tulsi Gabbard’s sister Vrindavan Gabbard Bellord for ongoing security services. The Replace Sinema PAC then launched a digital ad highlighting the spending scandal.
This is not the only formal complaint lodged against Sinema: a 37-page handbook for her Senate staff leaked last year detailed the amount of time she allotts for constituent meetings (3 minutes) versus that for lobbyists (20 minutes), her weekly hour-long appointments with the Senate personal masseuse, and her unwillingness to work past 6:30 pm. The handbook prompted an ethics complaint filed by 13 organizations for her alleged abuse of staff, including requiring them to do her grocery shopping, make sure she is fed at all times, and fix her internet.
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