The Briefing Room

General Category => Politics/Government => Topic started by: Formerly Once-Ler on March 26, 2014, 05:27:37 am

Title: The Senate Conservatives Fund Is Not Living Very Conservatively
Post by: Formerly Once-Ler on March 26, 2014, 05:27:37 am

http://www.buzzfeed.com/bennyjohnson/the-senate-conservatives-fund-is-not-living-very-conservativ

The Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF), a conservative outside group with a tendency to primary establishment GOP members, is living quite well on Capitol Hill.

SCF, which lists stopping wasteful spending and ending earmarks as their core tenets, has paid $50,000 since June to rent a plum Capitol Hill row house office worth $1.4 million. The five-bedroom, 3.5-bath, 2,800 square-foot house comes complete with a wine cellar and jacuzzi tub.

According to filings, the SFC has spent nearly $15,075 on “interior design services” since June and $11,212 on “Painting/Decorating” for their new location.

SCF’s expenses have received attention before — Politico reported in January that SCF has paid $143,360 over the past three years to a luxury design firm to renovate office space, according to filings.

The rent is a drop in the bucket for SCF, which raised more than $7 million last year and spent more than $8 million, according to FEC reports.

SCF has made waves this election cycle by challenging GOP leadership in Congress, including spending more than $1 million to oust Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and publicly calling for the resignation of Speaker John Boehner.

A spokesperson for SCF told BuzzFeed that the organization uses the property for work space, meetings, candidate interviews, and fundraisers.

The photos below were obtained from a real estate listing for the property.
The property is snazzy and has a rooftop.
(http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-02/enhanced/webdr08/26/14/grid-cell-8418-1393441371-7.jpg) (http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-02/enhanced/webdr08/26/14/grid-cell-8418-1393441372-10.jpg)
Fancy kitchen!
(http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-02/enhanced/webdr06/26/13/grid-cell-2125-1393438335-10.jpg) (http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-02/enhanced/webdr06/26/13/grid-cell-2125-1393438336-13.jpg)
SWAG bathroom with TVs and a jacuzzi.
(http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-02/enhanced/webdr03/26/10/grid-cell-4114-1393429887-5.jpg) (http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-02/enhanced/webdr03/26/10/grid-cell-4114-1393429888-8.jpg)
Oh, a wine room!
(http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-02/enhanced/webdr08/26/10/enhanced-15009-1393429484-4.jpg)
(http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-02/enhanced/webdr03/26/10/anigif_enhanced-4906-1393430013-13.gif)

Title: Re: The Senate Conservatives Fund Is Not Living Very Conservatively
Post by: jmyrlefuller on March 26, 2014, 10:33:16 am

The people at Buzzfeed realize the cost of real estate in Washington, DC... right? (Of course they do.)

I'm sorry, but other than the wine room, this looks like a pretty modest office/gathering place, although I have to wonder whose brilliant idea it was to put a window next to the bathtub!