When donors give political candidates money to support their candidacy, they expect these funds to be used only for campaign-related or official purposes.
That expectation is underpinned by federal law, which clearly outlines that campaign funds may not be used to pay for a candidate or officeholder’s personal expenses, even after they leave office.
On February 19, 2025, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging that former Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema violated federal campaign finance laws by converting over $700,000 worth of campaign funds to personal use after leaving office in January 2025.
Using campaign funds to pay for personal expenses fundamentally undermines voters’ trust in elected officials, eroding the foundations of our political system. If Sinema indeed broke campaign finance law and misused hundreds of thousands in donor money to pay for extravagant personal expenses, she must be held accountable.
The Deeply Rooted Problem of Misusing Campaign Funds for Personal Gain
When a politician raises money from donors to support their candidacy, they cannot spend that money however they please. Yet, as CLC has been tracking since 2018, politicians often use campaign contributions to fund personal indulgences like luxury trips, fine dining, exclusive event tickets, premium transportation and more.
Converting campaign funds to personal use is unlawful whether done by a candidate running for office, a public official while serving in office, or following an official’s departure from office, when their campaign committee may have significant remaining funds left in the bank.
In fact, for years, CLC has advocated for reforms to address the problem of “zombie PACs,” a term describing the blatant misuse of campaign funds left over after an officeholder is no longer serving or running for office.
These leftover funds can only be used for certain purposes, such as winding down a former officeholder’s offices, making charitable donations, or contributing to other candidates.
Upon leaving office in January 2025, Sinema’s principal campaign committee, Sinema for Arizona, had over $4.2 million in cash on hand, of which $3 million was used to launch the Spark Center for Innovation Learning at Arizona State University.
But she spent the majority of the remaining $1.2 million on travel costs, meals, and staff salaries, nearly all of which appears to have constituted illegal personal use.
After entering the private sector, Sinema’s campaign paid for thousands of dollars in airfare, car services, luxury international resorts, music festivals and dining at Michelin-starred restaurants.
The committee also reported paying six staffers a collective $379,398 from January to September 2025 — and some were being paid by the campaign even after they had taken private sector jobs.
During this period, Sinema had already begun her tenure at a private lobbying practice, casting doubt on the notion that these staffers were providing any bona fide services to Sinema that would justify continuing payments from her campaign committee.
Candidates and Lawmakers Must Obey the Law — and Be Held Accountable When They Don’t
When sitting and former elected officials use campaign contributions to pay their personal expenses or otherwise enrich themselves, they undermine the public’s trust in elected officials and the democratic process more broadly.
Americans are rightfully left wondering if candidates seeking financial support for their campaign will ultimately use at least some of their donations to subsidize a lavish lifestyle.
Candidates and lawmakers have a crucial responsibility to rebuke this narrative and meet the high ethical standards and legal obligations imposed on those entrusted with the most powerful public service positions — and that responsibility continues after they leave office.
The FEC has a responsibility to enforce the laws meant to hold our lawmakers accountable.
If Sinema willfully broke the law and used donor money to subsidize lavish personal expenses after leaving the Senate, as all available facts appear to indicate, then the Commission must enforce the law, ensure accountability for the violations and make clear that such corruption will not go unchecked.
Campaign Legal Center will continue working to reduce corruption by ensuring the laws meant to hold elected officials accountable are enforced, while calling for structural reforms that will strengthen these guardrails and their enforcement. Support our work today.