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USA Today sifted through congressional campaign spending reports to see who spent what on meals over the past four years. The paper identified $14.5 million in such expenditures.
One of the biggest spenders turned out to be an Oregonian—U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), who disclosed expenditures of $300,000 over that period, the paper found.
Walden, a ninth-term representative from Hood River who represents Oregon's second congressional district, holds a leadership position in his caucus, running the National Republican Congressional Committee. In that post, he recruits and supports candidates.
"We wrap a lot of events around meals, so it's not surprising that we would have food and beverage expenses," Walden spokesman Andrew Malcolm told USA Today. "The key is we work hard to keep our overhead low, like any small business would do, while aggressively developing new supporters, thanking volunteers and raising the necessary funds to run effective campaigns."
WWeek 2015