RNC Chair Race Gets Nasty as Candidates Focus on Committee Spending

Ronna McDaniel, the GOP chairwoman, speaks during the Republican National Committee winter
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

The race for the Republican National Committee (RNC) chair is heating up following a report of lavish spending over the last year, but the RNC told members that the accusations are nothing more than a “gross misrepresentation of how the RNC raises and spends money for the Republican Party,” as the expenditures listed “only add up to 0.8% of the total amount the Chairwoman raised.”

A RedState analysis of the RNC’s expenditures is raising eyebrows, as the report claims to blow the lid off committee spending as Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel seeks reelection for yet another term after serving in that capacity since 2017.

RedState cites an October 7, 2022 report, which looked at the RNC’s spending from 2021 to 202 —  throughout the latest election cycle — and found “more than $500,000 in private jet expenses, $64,000 at clothing retailers, and $321,000 in floral arrangements.”

A chart provided on the website shows the various categories and corresponding disbursements. There are 50 disbursements listed for luxury travel, for example, totaling $1,364,211.46. There are also 14 disbursements listed for private jets, totaling $505,909.43; 201 disbursements for home improvement and decor totaling $165,978.51; 34 for entertainment totaling $75,739.29; and 42 for clothing retailers, totaling $64,141.13, among others. 

Further, RedState concluded in its analysis that these expenditures were not new but “par for the course,” as other years saw familiar spending habits.

“Since McDaniel took the role in 2017, the RNC has spent $3.1 million on private jets, $1.3 million on limo or chauffeur services, and $17.1 million on “donor mementos,” according to RedState, detailing other expenditures throughout the years, including $400,000 spent on entertainment activities, including $30,000 for what the outlet described as a “private box at a Las Vegas Raiders game.”

The outlet also cited an anonymous member who has reportedly asked the budget chair for more information, as they are only provided with top-line numbers, but the individual claimed to not have obtained the information requested. 

The report is turning heads, prompting some, including country music star John Rich, who has donated to the RNC, accusing RNC leadership of taking “advantage of millions of regular, everyday Conservatives by pretending to support what Patriots support, but in reality, are blowing untold troves of cash on extravagant nonsense, and supporting RINO candidates while ignoring America First contenders.”

However, in a letter to members following the release of this analysis, the RNC Budget Committee chairman asserted that the reports are a “gross misrepresentation of how the RNC raises and spends money for the Republican Party,” expressing “outraged by the falsehoods in the article published in the dark of night, which was written by a client of Harmeet Dhillon, who has publicly endorsed her bid for Chair, masking as a reporter.”

While the chairman told members to take the reports with a grain of salt, the official provided further explanation, attempting to set the record straight.

First and foremost, the chairman first pointed McDaniel raising record-breaking funds and stated that the items in the article “only add up to 0.8% of the total amount the Chairwoman raised.”

“These are the facts about Chairwoman McDaniel’s record-breaking fundraising and the strategic investments the committee has made to benefit the entire Republican ecosystem,” the letter to members read, as the chairman then addressed several of the allegations made in the RedState piece. 

Donor mementos, for instance, “refer to money spent towards White House events, such as Christmas parties, Congressional picnics, and Easter Egg Rolls,” the letter explained, noting that gifts for doors and guests of the White House “were purchased at the discretion of The White House, as is standard practice.”

“Regardless of which party has the Presidency, the respective party committee is responsible for paying for these events and gifts – not the American People,” the Budget Committee chairman explained, hitting other topics as well.

“To attack Ronna, or Harmeet, who ALSO has benefited from the RNC paying for hair and make-up for TV appearances, is extremely sexist, and I strongly encourage every member to condemn this personal attack on either of them,” the chairman said of money spent on media preparation. 

“The DNC paid well over what the RNC did for media preparation, though that was conveniently left out of the hit piece written by Harmeet’s client,” the letter continued. 

The letter also addressed one of the main highlights in the RedState piece — private jets and luxury travel:

  • When working with an incumbent President or candidates who fly private, the RNC is obligated to reimburse the airfare for staff and members to the appropriate entity, whether they flew on Air Force One or on a chartered plane.
  • I’d also like to point out that during the 2015/2016 cycle, prior to Ronna’s Chairmanship, over $2 million was spent on private jets and car services alone.
  • For someone to say spending on transportation for political events and campaigning is “not standard practice” clearly does not understand costs associated with campaigning nor do they understand how to navigate FEC.gov to see this spending is comparable to every other committee.

Further, the Budget Committee chairman explained that investments in donor events are important and part of the way the RNC is able to raise record-breaking funds, more than making up for the cost of the events themselves:

Every dollar spent towards a donor retreat was earned back tenfold, and then some, including the event at the Las Vegas Raiders game.  This particular event was during the Q4 donor retreat and was attended by donors.  The accusation that staff and their spouses were flown to Las Vegas for this football game is ridiculous and blatantly false. As with every donor retreat and member meeting, necessary staff attend as a resource, but their spouses do not travel on the RNC dime.

“Under her [McDaniel’s]  leadership, the committee has raised over $1.5 billion. It has also brought in over 2.5 million NEW donors into the Party,” the closing arguments of the letter reads, citing $325 million raised in this last cycle alone. 

“Mischaracterizations like these serve no other purpose than to denigrate this committee, and I hope you all will not let them distract you from the critical work we must continue to do for the sake of our party and our country,” the letter continued, urging members to reach out with any further questions about expenses. 

RedState also provided a response from Emma Vaughn, a spokesperson for McDaniel’s reelection, at the bottom of the original article. 

It reads:

A client of Harmeet Dhillon decided to publish a hit piece in the middle of the night without making a serious attempt to engage with the RNC or Chairwoman McDaniel’s team. This blog post is as blatantly false as the lies she has been spreading that RNC members are being bribed for their votes. If critics want to misrepresent and push false narratives about the RNC’s spending this past cycle, they should do the math before realizing it only adds up to 0.8% of the total amount the Chairwoman raised.” 

The saga follows Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) announcing his decision not to run for RNC chair despite calls to do so, asserting that McDaniel’s victory is “pre-baked by design.” However, he does not believe she should run again and concluded that “the better path forward would be for Chairwoman McDaniel to listen and respect the wishes of the actual grassroots voters of our party, and allow the RNC to forge ahead with new leadership:”

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