Michael Steele, the head of the Republican National Committee, is carrying on with his high-flying, high-publicity controversy today with accusations of RNC money being spent on exotic dancers, private jets, and gourmet catering. Michael Steele faced claims last month that he over-spent RNC cash on private consultants and fancy restaurants. The Daily Caller blog today put up the highlights of the RNC federal disclosure. In amongst other expenditures, the Federal disclosure includes almost $ 2,000 spent at Voyeur West Hollywood, a dark leather-and-lace bondage-themed nightclub. To date, Michael Steele’s fund raising efforts have brought in $ 96.2 million, while he has created $ 109.6 million in bills – meaning the RNC has some serious debt repair to look after.
Voyeur West Hollywood trip may not have included Michael Steele
Though Michael Steele is the head of the RNC and was in Los Angeles at the time of the Voyeur West Hollywood charge, the Republican National Committee is disputing that he really visited the strip club. Directly above the Voyeur West Hollywood charge, the RNC federal disclosure also has a matching payment to direct-mail consultant Erik Brown. No matter if Michael Steele actually attended the event where $ 1,946.25 worth of “meals” were charged at Voyeur West Hollywood, as the RNC Chairman he had to approve the expense. The RNC press release today says that they are beginning an internal investigation to the expenditure, and they’re requesting how the cash be returned.
Other RNC expenses by Michael Steele
Expenses other than the nearly $ 2,000 spent at Voyeur have come into question when Michael Steele has been in office. While in California in February, the RNC spent over $ 15,000 at the Beverly Hills Hotel and Four Seasons. During the month of February, Michael Steele had also used over $ 17k worth of private plane time and over $ 12k of private vehicles. In response, the RNC has said that these expenditures are more like guaranteed loans – that high-dollar benefactors have come to expect red-carpet treatment.
Some RNC members perturbed with Michael Steele
Michael Steele has been the head of the Republican National Committee beginning in January of 2009. A very high-dollar RNC donor was quoted this year as saying “fancies himself a presidential candidate and wants all of the trappings and gets them by using other people’s money”. One very high-profile brouhaha in the RNC came after Michael Steele contracted Wolfgang puck to cater an event where his predecessors had used Chic-fil-A. Just a few months after Michael Steele was hired, the RNC passed a rule that all checks from Republican National Committee accounts had to be signed by two officers.
If Michael Steele was present at the Voyeur West Hollywood dance club or not, the RNC federal disclosure makes it clear how the Republican National Committee is spending more money than it is taking in. At a time of economic downturn, many American Republicans are beginning to question if the Republican National Committee is spending fund raising dollars wisely.
