Rand Paul and staff fly private while preaching fiscal restraint

Senator Rand Paul is one of the loudest critics of federal spending, routinely voting against government funding legislation and grinding legislative business to a halt in protest of bills that would add to the debt. However, when it comes to travel, Sen. Paul has shown shown a pattern of spending lavishly through his personal office and accounts linked to his Senate campaign. Paul spent nearly $18,000 on a single private jet flight from Washington to Pittsburgh for his staff as part of an investigation into the attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Other staffers on the same committee secured travel accommodations for a fraction of that price by driving or flying commercial. Hiring a private jet for committee business is not against Senate rules, but it stands in stark contrast to Paul’s reputation as a fiscal conservative whose crusade against out-of-control federal spending and perceived government waste has repeatedly put him at odds with members of his own party. Congressional reporter Chris Marquette has the story. ----------------------------------------- Subscribe to our channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgjtvMmHXbutALaw9XzRkAg?view_as=subscriber Check out our video catalog: https://www.politico.com/video Follow POLITICO here: ➤ X: https://x.com/politico/ ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/politico/ ➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/politico/