GOP lawmaker Paul Gosar spent nearly $1m on taxpayer-funded travel over the past five years, the most of any House member, while touting his credentials as a fiscal conservative.
The far-right Arizona congressman travelled to events in Europe, Texas and Florida on the public purse, spending more than two House delegates from the Pacific Ocean territory of Guam, according to an anaylsis from the Moonlight Foundation, a non-partisan watchdog, obtained by CNN.
Lawmakers in neighbouring Arizona districts spent about 40 per cent of Dr Gosar’s total bill on airfares, accommodation, parking, rental cars and mileage.
In a statement on his official website, the congressman claims to be taking on “bloated” government spending.
“I will continue to cut wasteful federal spending wherever I can,” he wrote.
A spokesperson for Dr Gosar told CNN the spending was appropriate and was higher than other members due to Dr Gosar’s role as chair of the House’s Western Caucus from 2016 to 2020.
This required him and four aides to travel extensively throughout Arizona and the rest of the country, the spokesperson said.
“Unlike out-of-touch politicians, Congressman Gosar travels back to his district in Arizona every week, then hits the road, to work tirelessly on behalf of his constituents of the Fourth Congressional District,” the unnamed spokesperson told CNN.
Dr Gosar’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In July 2018, Dr Gosar disclosed he had received $9,500 from a group called the Middle East Forum for a three day trip to the United Kingdom where he spoke at a rally for a the imprisoned far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
According to azcentral.com, Dr Gosar claimed to be meeting with UK politicians while he was attended the fundraiser dinner with Steve Bannon.
During the same period, he charged taxpayers $2,300 for commercial flights, during a period when no other travel expenses were filed, according to the Moonlight Foundation.
Congressional members’ travel expenses are mostly hidden from public scrutiny as they can be filed under a “general category” without providing further details.
Moonlight Foundation executive director Karen Goll told CNN Dr Gosar’s spending ballooned after he won his second congressional race in 2012.
“His office’s travel budget started to skyrocket with budget-busting charges on lodging, car rentals, and transportation.”
Dr Gosar has frequently courted controversy during his time in office. He has attended numerous white nationalist rallies, and pushed the ‘big lie’ that Donald Trump won the 2020 election.
In November 2021, Dr Gosar tweeted a violent anime video showing him killing Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
He was censured by the House, the first time in more than a decade a lawmaker had been rebuked in that way, and stripped of his committee assignments.
