Unanswered Questions About Claudia Tenney’s Campaign Spending

Tenney didn’t stop with Blinken.  In 2023, Tenney again raised the Djokovic problem during a congressional hearing.  She pressed Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra on whether the administration would allow Djokovic into the U.S. to compete in U.S. tennis tournaments.  At the same time, Tenney was trying to get Djokovic into the country, hospitals in Tenney’s largely rural NY-24 district faced staffing shortages and access-to-healthcare challenges. But Tenney used her limited questioning time during a congressional hearing to push Secretary Becerra to let a celebrity tennis star flaunt public health rules designed to bring the pandemic under control.

Campaign Finance Law

The Politico article raised the question: Did the travel Tenney paid for with campaign funds — hotels and car rentals — serve a legitimate campaign purpose, or was donor money used to subsidize personal travel? “The publication’s review of her campaign finances found that she used campaign funds to stay at upscale hotels in the same city at the same time that Djokovic played.” the Yahoo News summary reported.

Politico also reported that Tenney’s campaign spent $388 at a Lacoste store in New York City during the U.S. Open. Lacoste sponsors Djokovic and sells apparel marketed as part of his commercial line, including items commonly worn by his supporters. According to Yahoo News, Tenney posted a selfie three days later wearing a white Lacoste hat with a brand supporting Djokovic. Tenney later posted photos showing her wearing Lacoste clothing, including a jacket and hat displaying the goat symbol associated with Djokovic fandom (above) – shorthand for “Greatest of All Time.”

Politico reported that Tenney’s campaign declined to say whether the apparel she wore came from the campaign purchase listed in its filings. The campaign also declined to say whether Tenney attended the New York or Miami tournaments, despite hotel bookings during those dates.

The standard applied by the Federal Election Commission is straightforward: campaign funds may not be used to pay for expenses that would exist regardless of the campaign. That is, things you’d need to buy anyway. Under that rule, campaigns can’t use donor money to pay for expenses that primarily confer personal benefit rather than serve a legitimate campaign purpose. Election law frequently cites personal clothing as an example. Campaign funds generally may not be used to purchase everyday apparel such as hats, jackets, or suits, even if they’re worn at campaign events, because the items retain personal value after the campaign. Travel and lodging receive heightened scrutiny when they are not clearly tied to documented campaign activity. Hotel stays, airfare, or car rentals may be questioned when they coincide with vacations, leisure activities, or entertainment events.

Daniel Wiener of the Brennan Center for Justice told Politico that federal law generally prohibits campaign spending on clothing except for limited campaign-branded items. For that reason, labeling an expense “donor gifts” raises other questions: what was purchased, how many items were purchased, and who received them. Politico reported that Tenney’s campaign declined to answer those questions.

The Campaign’s Response

Tenney’s campaign dismissed the Politico investigation as politically motivated. Anthony Pileggi, identified as a campaign spokesman, described the reporting. “It’s ridiculous that instead of covering serious policy issues or legislative results, some in the media are now reduced to speculating about personal interests and sports fandoms,” Tenney campaign spokesperson Anthony Pileggi said in a statement to Playbook. “Voters see this for what it is: a desperate attempt to manufacture a smear when there is no credible story to tell…Congresswoman Tenney’s travel and campaign activity were conducted fully in compliance with all applicable laws and FEC regulations” Pileggi said.

Questions Persist

Tenney represents New York’s 24th Congressional District. It is a large district stretching along Lake Ontario and into the Finger Lakes, Central New York, the North Country, and Western New York. People in NY24 are not wealthy. Median household income is usually below the national average. Many residents live on fixed or modest incomes. They’re sensitive to questions about how their elected representatives are spending campaign money.

Political consultant Hank Sheinkopf told Politico that voters can be unforgiving when they believe expectations surrounding campaign spending and accountability have been violated.

Several Democratic contenders in NY-24 have criticized Tenney over the questions raised by the Politico article. Democratic challenger Alissa Ellman described the spending as a “betrayal of the voters of this district,” arguing it reflects poor judgment and misplaced priorities. Fellow Democrat Diana Kastenbaum called for a review of the filings if evidence of misuse exists, while noting that Tenney’s personal interests are her own business.

Conclusion

Politico discovered Tenney campaign expenditures that coincided with major tennis tournaments at which tennis star Djokovic appeared. It also reported Tenney pushing the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to let Djokovic into the U.S., even though he hadn’t complied with immigration law.  The Tenney campaign has denied wrongdoing, and there is no allegation that it violated campaign finance law. Whether the questions raised by Politico ultimately affect Rep. Tenney’s re-election this year remains to be seen.