Michael Steele, the former lieutenant governor of Maryland, apparently likes the larger wads of money associated with his current gig as chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Some might say a little too much.
According to Politico, donors weren't too happy when world-class chef Wolfgang Puck's crew was hired to cater the RNC's Christmas party at the Newseum. Seriously, what's wrong with Wagshall's?
And donors weren't thrilled to hear that the annual winter meeting was moved from D.C. to Hawaii, either. That move was ridiculed heavily by pundits, including The Daily Show.
Apparently Steele also spent twice as much as his recent predecessors on things like private planes, limousines, and catering, according to the Politico analysis.
Politico crunched the numbers and, compared with 2005, the committee’s payments for charter flights doubled. What’s more, the number of sedan contractors tripled and meal expenses jumped from $306,000 to $599,000, according to Politico.
The excess spending has some members of the Republican Party’s major donors outraged, saying every penny is needed if they want to win back Congress.
Politics
Political news from the U.S. Capitol, White House and around Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia
Donors seem to be infuriated, saying the decision is a wasteful spending habit. But Steele fans say the increased costs are necessary to raise money and build grass-roots support, according to Politico.
