What are Warnock and Schumer Hiding?
Washington, D.C. – For months we’ve been telling you how well Senator Raphael Warnock has been settling into Washington, D.C. So much so that he is refusing to be transparent with Georgians about how he spends their money. If Georgians want to take a closer look at how his office is spending their taxpayer money, they are out of luck, according to a report from Axios. Georgians have every right to know, especially given reports of Warnock’s major spending in areas such as security since he took office.
But let’s not put all the blame on Warnock. Chuck Schumer also shares some of the blame for not forcing the Secretary of the Senate to release these expenses. So, the question is, what are Schumer and Warnock hiding?
Axios: Senate secretary blows off expense disclosure reports
By: Lachlan Markay
U.S. Senate officials are flouting a federal law requiring the public disclosure of senators’ official expenses, records show.
Why it matters: The lack of Senate expense disclosure has brought a key government transparency measure to a standstill, depriving the public of information about their representatives to which they’re legally entitled. The disclosure details spending on staff salaries and other office expenses.
- While the missing data shields expenses for all 100 senators, it puts one senator in particular in a unique political position.
- Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) won his seat in a 2021 special election and faces a re-election contest this year. Georgians should already have access to nearly a year of his office’s expense data. Currently, they have just a few months’ worth.
- The Senate secretary is responsible for posting the information; individual senators have no control over that disclosure. A Warnock spokesperson said the senator has complied with all that is required of him and is not an outlier.
- “First, Warnock’s office is reporting the required information,” the spokesperson said. “Second, it is not remarkable that he has the least amount of information — it’s a feature of him being sworn in on Jan. 20, 2021. Finally, not one Senate office has any information beyond March 2021.”
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