Like Donald Trump, Kyrsten Sinema has proven that the system now in place is there to be used by unscrupulous people, that the FEC is essentially irrelevant, and that politicians who just don’t care how things look can use creative accounting to do whatever they damn well please. In the past three months alone she’s spent nearly $400,000 on festivals, wineries and ski trips, among many other expenses that look like they’re all for personal use.
Source: Roll Call
Kyrsten Sinema retired from the Senate more than six months ago, but the Arizona independent’s campaign account remains quite active.
The latest filing by her Sinema for Arizona committee shows disbursements totaling more than $391,000 from March 31 to June 30 on hotels, entry fees to airport lounges, in-flight WiFi, office supplies, restaurant meals and a host of other expenses. The account also documents spending at wineries and more than $71,000 on airfare.
Sinema is now in the private sector, serving as a senior adviser at global law and lobbying firm Hogan Lovells. She has not campaigned for office since March 2024, when she announced that she would not seek a second Senate term. A request for comment through her firm was not returned.
Among Sinema’s disclosures were more than $108,000 in security-related expenses, including more than $4,600 in ticket admissions for her security detail to events such as Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, Ky., and the Ohana festival in Dana Point, Calif. She also reported $616 for “security detail ski tickets” in Aspen, Colo.
So how does she get away with this? Ostensibly, there are financial regulations in place by the FEC, but they’re not strictly enforced. Politicians usually give the money they’re unlikely to use to other candidates in their party, political action committees, or charities. Or they just hang on to it for a future run for political office. Kyrsten Sinema chose a different path, skirting the laws she knows will not be enforced.
All continue to face disclosure requirements, and there are limits on how much they can donate to candidates or other PACs. They may give an unlimited amount, however, from their reelection accounts to party committees.
Sinema’s unorthodox spending is concerning, said Michael Beckel, a senior research director at Issue One, a bipartisan political reform organization.
“It’s not typical for a former member of Congress to be spending money in this fashion,’’ Beckel said. “Campaign committees are prohibited from using the money they raise from donors for politicians’ personal use, and when you see such lavish and extravagant spending, especially by someone who’s left office, it raises really serious questions.”
Kyrsten Sinema left the Senate more than six months ago but her campaign committee has spent over $391,000 on personal expenses since March.
We filed an FEC complaint against Sinema last year—and her campaign spending continues to raise questions. https://t.co/TphIIyL5iG
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) July 18, 2025
