‘Guilty as charged’: Chuck Schumer spent nearly $9K on cheesecake

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer didn’t shy away from a New York Post report about him dropping nearly $9,000 on cheesecake.

During a news conference on Sunday, Schumer responded to coverage of his Federal Election Commission reports, which revealed that the Friends of Schumer PAC spent $8,638.85 at Junior’s Cheesecake, a restaurant in Brooklyn, over the past decade. The New York Democrat embraced the report about his love for cheesecake and even brought samples for reporters at the event.

“I give them as gifts. I use them for bets,” Schumer said. “You know, when someone wants to bet something, you know, for a Brooklyn thing versus a Wisconsin thing. We once bet when the Packers were playing the Giants: Wisconsin cheese or Junior’s cheesecake. What would you rather have? I love Junior’s Cheesecake.”

He continued: “So I say to the New York Post and others: guilty as charged. I love Junior’s Cheesecake so much. It’s the best cheesecake in the world. It is made in Brooklyn. I’ve been going to Junior’s since I’ve been a little boy. And it’s my guilty pleasure.”

Schumer dolled out a few slices of Junior’s Cheesecake to the press and warned, “Don’t look at the calories.” He started eating his piece of cake, telling the group, “Oh yeah, now you’re talking, baby.”

A signature plain cheesecake at Junior's currently sells for $43.95. Schumer, who was born in Brooklyn, has represented the state of New York in the Senate since winning election in 1998. He became the top Democrat in the Senate in 2017 after former Senate leader Harry Reid retired.