Jo Ann’s Spending Sprees: Was She Spending Your Money?

Apparently, Jo Ann Emerson assumed no one would examine her spending.  On her routine Federal Election Commission reports, in broad daylight, it is clear that Mrs. Emerson likes to spend other peoples' money at some of the most expensive stores in the world.

She has spent about $6,000 at Tiffany's & Co. on "Political Gifts" over the last ten years.  That she would spend about a quarter of what her average constituent earns in a year on expensive gifts is one thing. But there are dozens of jewelers in the 8th Congressional District that would be happy to take her business.

She has spent around $7,500 at other upscale boutiques, such as LL Bean, Neiman Marcus and Coach, claiming them as “Political Gifts”, comprising what an average family makes in her district in four months.

What she does with her own money is her own business.  But what she does with others’, whether that is her own contributors', or with the taxpayers', is ours. Last month, the Wall Street Journal profiled her lavish spending of taxpayer dollars.  You can read about it here.

This doesn’t represent fiscally conservative values, Missouri values or even common sense. It represents the worst of Washington—assuming that because she has a “safe seat” that she can act this reckless and assume that she’ll still have peoples' votes.  It is time for a representative that doesn’t assume a vote, but fights for it.

PDF versions of all reports referenced below can be found here.