According to required filings at the Federal Election Commission, 11-term Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents the central 18th district in Houston, spent around $10,000 of campaign funds on Super Bowl LI-related events earlier this year.
Videos by Rare
RELATED: Two Houston-area Congressmen want to impeach Donald Trump
Specifically, it appears $4,900 was paid and then reimbursed by a major government relations group, $4,901.46 was spent at the Grotto, and another $250 was paid following the game to a Maryland-based consulting firm for their “Super Bowl invitation design.”
While these expenditures are not necessarily illegal, SJL certainly seemed to enjoy herself:
Hanging with congress woman Sheila Jackson Lee at the Super Bowl Kickoff. What an amazing woman. #SuperBowl2017 #htown #USCongress pic.twitter.com/rsBn6Ysa1r
— @elliswyms (@elliswyms) January 28, 2017
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQJ1U8hBHcW/
And Matthew Whitaker, a government accountability analyst-expert out of Washington has a few concerns. He said in an interview:
We are always concerned and want more information when we see campaign expenditures that are not directly for campaign purposes. Campaign funds should not be used for anything other than running a campaign. There have been many cases of public officials abusing their campaign funds for personal expenses and for the benefit of others. The public deserves an explanation on why Super Bowl tickets were a campaign expense.
RELATED: Here’s why this Democratic congresswoman thinks the border has been totally secured
SJL nor her separate campaign officer could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.