7 Tea Party Freshmen Spent More Than $100K In Taxpayer Money On Personal Cars

[TalkingDog]

http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/07/16/511807/tea-party-car-leases/

There is nothing illegal about the practice of using taxpayer money to lease personal-use cars, but it smacks of hypocrisy for Tea Partiers like Duffy who promised to “lead by example” when it comes to deficit reduction.

Many of the vehicles go beyond a standard sedan. For example, Cravaack is charging taxpayers more than $1,000 a month to pay the lease on his 2011 Chevy Equinox, a crossover SUV with all-wheel drive.

Here’s what the seven Republican freshmen’s congressional offices have spent on cars in the past year and a half:

Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN): $25,580.84
Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI): $24,525.00
Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX): $10,997.45
Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO): $20,978.07
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH): $4,889.76
Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS): $8,848.00
Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR): $10,746.59
TOTAL: $106,643

[Laurian]

1. Does Duffy have a challenger in this election?

I'd love for him to be able to go back to Wisconsin and take care of his kids (which he was finding it difficult to do on his congressional pay).

[Tx4obama]

2. INFOGRAPHIC below

[TalkingDog]

7. Thank you!

n/t

[SDjack]

3. Taste so good when you push your nose deep into the government trough. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. What do they have in common?

They are all far away from DC, and the comute sucks

[DiverDave]

5. But, but they said they were gonna

ah, forget it.
They are stinking liars anyway.

[TalkingDog]

6. What you said.

n/t

[Doctor_J]

8. they couldn't afford their own leases

on their meager $180,000 salary