Hutchison Should Return Taxpayer Money Used to Subsidize Campaign

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison should immediately return all taxpayer money used to support her campaign.

The Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News reported today that Sen. Hutchison has used taxpayer money to travel to political fundraisers that raised her campaign more than $310,000 in 2009.

“Because of her checkered past of using official government offices for her own political gain, including an indictment in 1993 for the same behavior, Sen. Hutchison needs to reimburse taxpayers for her latest ethically-challenged decisions to use taxpayer dollars to fund her political activities,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner.

The Houston Chronicle is also reporting that Hutchison’s behavior “could be a violation of state election law depending on when the campaign event was scheduled and whether the official business was created to justify a fundraiser.”

A Hutchison campaign spokesperson defends the senator’s possibly illegal activity by saying “the fundraisers were tacked on as something that could be done at the end of a busy day” and “it typically ends up saving the taxpayers money.”

Two of the political fundraisers reported by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News as being subsidized by taxpayers were held at 12 p.m. – a fundraiser May 28 in Mission and a fundraiser June 5 in College Station. (SOURCE: Texans for Kay fundraising invitations, available at www.WashingtonKay.com/invitations.)

“Either Sen. Hutchison’s day ends at noon, or once again she is having trouble telling the truth,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “Wasting taxpayer dollars to pay for political fundraisers in no way saves taxpayers money.”

Click here to view the Houston Chronicle article.
Click here to view the San Antonio Express-News article.