The Boston Herald reports that Rep. Bill Delahunt, D-Mass., burned up $560,000 of his campaign warchest last year, paying family members and dining in style:
U.S. Rep. William Delahunt blew nearly $560,000 in campaign cash last year – much of it on lavish meals and a family-friendly payroll that includes his ex-wife, son-in-law and daughter – stoking speculation the Quincy Democrat is emptying his war chest and won’t seek re-election.
Among the expenses reported:
Delahunt, 68, also has dished out sizable sums on expensive meals, including more than $3,000 at Quincy’s Alba Bar and Grill in the first quarter of 2009, and another $7,000 for a confab at the upscale eatery in July.
Delahunt still has more than half a million dollars left in his campaign warchest, but his anemic fundraising for 2009 (just $42,000) adds credence to rumors that he is considering retirement this year. As our own Michael Barone has pointed out, Delahunt is currently facing questions over the Amy Bishop shooting in Alabama, as his office failed to prosecute her for the 1986 shooting of her brother in Massachusetts.
