Senator Booker's Campaign Spends Over $37K on Luxury Hotels Amid Affordability Push
New Jersey Democrat champions economic relief for Americans while campaign funds cover stays at high-end establishments.
Senator Cory Booker's re-election campaign has spent more than $37,000 on accommodations at luxury hotels between January and early October, a review of campaign expenses found. The New Jersey Democrat has recently emphasized his party's commitment to addressing the affordability crisis impacting middle-class working families.
The campaign's expenditures include over $11,700 at the London West Hollywood Hotel in California, a high-end property known for its celebrity clientele. Additional West Coast expenses totaled $1,124 at the Palihouse West Hollywood and $5,120 at the five-star Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. A stop at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills accounted for $210, and the Stanford Court Hotel in San Francisco incurred another $1,300.
In Las Vegas, the campaign spent thousands across several resorts, including $2,238 at the Bellagio, $1,961 at the Wynn, $1,612 at the Luxor Hotel, and $868 at Caesars Palace.
Booker has publicly advocated for policies aimed at economic relief, such as his proposed Keep Your Pay Act, which seeks to eliminate federal income taxes on the first $75,000 earned by middle-class households. He has frequently spoken about the financial pressures faced by ordinary citizens and the need for economic growth to benefit working families.
Other domestic travel expenses included $3,500 at The Hamlet Inn in the Hamptons, $1,838 at the Dockside Inn on Martha's Vineyard, $1,459.74 at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, and over $700 at the Kimpton Hotel Eventi in New York. The campaign also spent $932.57 at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, $916 at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Denver, $350 at the Four Seasons Hotel in New Orleans, and $1,878 at the Fairmont Hotel in Austin, Texas.
Internationally, the campaign incurred a $1,766 expense at the Biltmore Mayfair in London. Campaign finance rules permit the use of donor dollars for travel expenses. However, ethics watchdogs have noted the optics of using funds for luxury accommodations when politicians highlight economic struggles.
A Democratic strategist commented that Booker's spending could be perceived as a contradiction to his affordability message. The Daily Mail previously reported on similar luxury hotel spending by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
