Report: Sen. Landrieu took nine more 'suspicious' flights
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) speaks to reporters after the Democratic weekly policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington January 28, 2014. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Louisiana U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu took nine charter flights — costing taxpayers nearly $15,000 — that coincided with campaign events where she raised over $130,000, in possible violation of federal law.
The nine flights are in addition to several others that were discovered last month.
On Friday, the Republican National Committee released records of the flights, which Landrieu expensed to her Senate office — and ultimately to taxpayers — between 2000 and 2008.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}All of the flights coincided with fundraisers she held in Louisiana.
On May 31, 2000, for example, Landrieu expensed $1,531 for a flight from New Orleans to Alexandria, La. On the same day, according to records published by the RNC, she raised $28,150 from Alexandria-area businessmen.
The rest of the records are similar, with flights ranging in cost from $950 to $2,379.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}If Landrieu did indeed use her Senate office account to pay for the chartered flights, that would be in violation of federal law and Senate rules, which prohibits the use of taxpayer dollars from paying for campaign activities.
The nine flights flagged by the RNC are in addition to several others Landrieu took that have already been identified.
Last month, Politico found that Landrieu had taken two flights to campaign events — one in August 2012, another in October 2012 — costing taxpayers over $10,000 combined.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CNN also identified two flights Landrieu took last year, which cost $8,900.
In light of those findings, she promised last month to review all records of chartered flights she had taken since taking office in 1997. But her self-imposed Sept. 8 deadline for the release has come and gone.
Landrieu faces a tough race against Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy. According to the latest Rasmussen poll, taken earlier this month, Cassidy leads 44-41 among likely voters.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}