By all accounts, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) was once an up-and-coming star in the Republican Party. After years of law school and serving as the Missouri attorney general for one term, Hawley unseated Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and took his place in the U.S. Senate. His support of Donald Trump and the coup attempt on Jan. 6, his reputation is all but ruined. Donors will have nothing to do with him, his own colleagues don’t want to work with him, and he’ll forever be known for that raised fist he gave the violent mob that stormed the Capitol Building.
After The New York Post‘s latest revelation about Hawley, his troubles have only compounded.
Records from Hawley’s 2018 campaign for the Senate show that he used funds illegally to pay for family expenditures, spending $197 at Universal Studios in Orlando, where he went for a retreat in March 2020. It is expressly forbidden and illegal for a political candidate to misuse funds in this way.
According to Business Insider:
‘Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, who has been in the spotlight in recent days for stirring up Trump supporters who breached the Capitol, is attracting scrutiny for using campaign funds to pay for food for his family during a lobbyist retreat outing at Universal Studios Orlando.’
Senator Josh Hawley, who played a part in inciting the Jan 6 insurrection, appears to have improperly used campaign funds on personal expenses, which is against the law.https://t.co/ierbwQkwNp
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) February 9, 2021
Hawley and his family dined on popcorn, donuts, and tacos at their donors’ expense. According to Ann Ravel, who served as the former chairwoman of the FEC under President Obama , the spending “appears to not be a legal use of campaign funds.”
The New York Post reports that:
‘The $197 in charges included: $16.87 at Voodoo Doughnut, $8.83 at Seuss Popcorn, $15.63 at Lard Lad, $13.83 at Lagoon Popcorn, $31.38 at Hopping Pot, $30.41 at Bumblebee Taco, and $80.04 at Margaritaville.’
Senator Lankford should recuse from the investigation into Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz for inciting the insurrection since Lankford also played a role in the events leading up to the insurrection.https://t.co/i2LaGhHmyy
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) February 9, 2021
Hawley was not exactly known for his strong ethical principles, but at a time when he’s receiving so much negative attention, the scandal is impactful even if the amount spent was small. Just like Trump, Hawley is painting himself as a new type of Republican lawmaker, one who doesn’t think that laws apply to him and prefers lies over truth. After his actions on January 6, it was the last thing Hawley needed.
The Washington Post writes that:
‘It was a remarkably fast fall from grace: In a matter of just a few hours, a bright and promising star saw his fortunes completely fade. Members of both parties stopped working with him. Money from big donors dried up in a day or so. An up-and-comer once viewed by many conservatives as presidential material in 2024 traded integrity for the favors of a populist mob.’
Josh Hawley made his choice and cast his lot. He deserves his fall from grace, @kathleenparker writes https://t.co/K9wbeDMAaZ
— Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) February 6, 2021
Featured image screenshot via YouTube
