Politics

New York AG’s Campaign Splurged On Travel And Consultants — Despite Not Being Up For Reelection For Years

Credit: Matt Cohen. Letitia James

The campaign for New York Attorney General Letitia James shelled out almost $250,000 on lodging, travel, restaurants and campaign consultants since 2023, despite James not being up for reelection until 2026, campaign finance filings show.

James successfully prosecuted former President Donald Trump in a recent civil fraud case, with a judge ordering Trump on Feb. 16 to pay $350 million to defendants and barring him from serving as an officer of any company in New York for two years. While James’ Trump case was ongoing, James for NY 2026 spent thousands of dollars at hotels, restaurants, a night club and on air travel, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars on campaign consultants, campaign filings show.

James’ reelection campaign paid over $218,000 to “campaign consultants” between March 2023 and December 2023, according to campaign finance records. James was reelected as New York attorney general in November 2022 and is not up for reelection for another two years.

Payments to some consultants had additional details attached in campaign finance filings, listing purposes such as “compliance” or “advertising,” while others were more vague, referring to a nondescript “fee” or “expense.” Some payments had no further explanation.

James’ campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

In addition to consultants, James’ campaign also spent extensively on Puerto Rican travel after her 2022 electoral victory.

The campaign spent over $13,500 at Puerto Rican hotels and restaurants between July and December 2023.

One of the hotels at which James’ campaign paid for lodging, the La Concha Renaissance San Juan Resort, is described by its website as the “quintessential San Juan beachfront playground” that serves as “a hot nightlife destination” and epitomizes “the ‘Latino Chic’ lifestyle.”

The James campaign spent roughly $300 at restaurants in Puerto Rico across just three days in November 2023, campaign finance filings show.

James’ campaign also covered flights, with her reelection committee paying over $2,700 to different airlines between August and November 2023.

On top of flights, restaurants, luxury lodging and consultants, James’ campaign also dropped thousands of dollars at a cocktail lounge.

In September 2023, the campaign spent $5,122 at the 48 Lounge in New York City. The club describes itself as having a “luxurious and intimate atmosphere that redefines nightlife, offering impeccable service, a dazzling array of innovative cocktails, a finely curated wine, and champagne list, and an exquisite chef-driven menu available from open to late,” according to its website.

The expense was labeled as a “fundraiser” on James’ campaign finance filings.

James’ campaign paid over $1,400 to hold another fundraiser at a hotel in Martha’s Vineyard in September 2023, campaign finance records show.