Fundraising Fuels McCarthy’s Rise to Power

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) “celebrated his first election to Congress at an In-N-Out Burger, sipping sodas from paper cups at Formica tables with his wife and children… Eight years later, as the new House majority leader, McCarthy commands a multimillion-dollar political operation featuring lavish meals, opulent getaways with lobbyists, and privately chartered aircraft,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“In the two years leading up to last fall’s election, McCarthy, through his reelection campaign and leadership PAC, spent $140,000 on steakhouses alone. He paid $426,000 to companies that charter private jets, covering 46 trips. And he raised at least $10.5 million for his own and party political committees. That spending and fundraising have fueled one of the fastest rises to power in congressional history.”