A federal watchdog on Thursday accused former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of turning more than $700,000 in campaign money into a personal bankroll during 2025, the year after she left office. The complaint says the spending ran the gamut from luxury hotel stays and a Michelin-starred dinner to continued paychecks for former staffers, and notes that Sinema’s committee filed a termination report on Jan. 31, 2026 showing a zero balance.
Watchdog Takes Its Case to the FEC
The Campaign Legal Center has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission, alleging that Sinema used her Sinema for Arizona committee funds for "travel, lodging, meals, staff salaries, and other expenses" that appeared to have no campaign-related purpose. The complaint itself is posted on DocumentCloud, and the group summarized its allegations in a Campaign Legal Center press release.
In that release, CLC’s Saurav Ghosh urged the FEC to dig in, saying, "The FEC must investigate her use of campaign money and hold her accountable for any violations of campaign finance law."
Where the Money Went
Reporting by the Arizona Mirror and Phoenix New Times notes that the complaint flags roughly $169,411 in air and train travel, about $18,091 on Uber rides, $44,059 in hotel charges and nearly $20,000 on meals, including a single $1,300 tab at Hide in London. Federal filings show Sinema’s committee began 2025 with about $4.2 million and, according to an FEC termination report, had spent virtually all of it by year’s end.
Payroll and the Security Question
The complaint says more than half of the challenged spending went to payroll, with six people receiving nearly $380,000 between January and October 2025, according to itemized disbursements in the filing posted on DocumentCloud. The documents show Daniel Winkler drawing roughly $151,000 and Michelle Davidson about $85,000, and they question almost $109,000 paid to Matthew Ammel, Sinema’s former security officer, a payment now cited in a separate AP News alienation-of-affection case.
What Could Happen Next
The Campaign Legal Center is urging the FEC to open a formal inquiry and determine whether the spending amounted to improper personal use, reiterating that call in its Campaign Legal Center statement. The FEC can dismiss complaints, launch investigations, or pursue conciliation and civil penalties if it finds probable cause, and its guidance on prohibited "personal use" explains a case-by-case "irrespective" test that looks at whether an expense would exist irrespective of the campaign.
Sinema’s Response
Sinema did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to reporters. Local coverage notes that this complaint comes on top of earlier watchdog filings that scrutinized travel, security and other spending by her committees. For now, the matter sits with the FEC and whatever review it decides to undertake.
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