Washington • Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz spent $1,279 at Costco for supplies and $2,881 at the Trump International Hotel in Washington.
Then-Sen. Orrin Hatch spent more than $11,000 on gifts and memorabilia, including over $7,000 at L.L. Bean and nearly $4,500 at the U.S. Senate Gift Shop.
But those payments didn’t come from their own pockets, or even from their campaign accounts. They came from their official leadership political action committees, little-known groups that allow members of Congress to fork out money for a wide variety of things if they can justify expenditures as intended to help others get elected.