Mike Lawler is still spending campaign cash on limousines

New York Rep. Mike Lawler has done nothing to curb his behavior following a bombshell Daily Mail report about him spending campaign cash on hotels and limousines.

The report, which cites public Federal Elections Commission (FEC) filings, says Lawler dropped more than $150,000 on lavish luxuries last year, including $11,000 for personal chauffeurs and $700 on a room at a beachfront Ritz-Carlton in Florida.

Lawmakers are permitted to spend campaign funds on travel accommodations, but the law is clear that such expenditures must be reasonable and necessary.

New FEC filings indicate that Lawler has continued this trend in 2026. His campaign reported spending more than $4,800 in January on a trip to West Palm Beach, FL, including $3,511 on a limousine service and $1,355 at a local Hilton.

West Palm Beach, it should be noted, has a city-run car service similar to Uber that is free of charge.

That same month, Lawler’s campaign spent more than $600 at a pizza restaurant in Jefferson Valley, NY. This expenditure was coded as “fundraiser expenses.”

Lawler visited Florida again in March for a fundraiser at the St. Regis Hotel in Longboat Key. On that trip, his campaign reported spending $807 on a car service. Longboat Key is in Sarasota County, which also has a community car service that charges $3 to $6 per ride.

Lawler’s splurges risk alienating voters who are struggling with the economic ramifications of the war in Iran and President Donald Trump’s tariff policy. Surging gas prices pushed inflation to its highest level in two years last month.

Lawler is seeking a third term in the House this year. He is widely regarded as one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents facing reelection.