RNC Chair Michael Steele : Spent RNC cash on a strip club?

debt repair for the Republican Party may take a while – Michael Steele has spent $ 109.6 million of the RNC’s cash, while his fund raising efforts have brought in $ 96.2 million.

Voyeur West Hollywood may not have seen Michael Steele

Though Michael Steele is the head of the RNC and was in Los Angeles at the time of the Voyeur West Hollywood charge, the Republican National Committee is disputing that he actually visited the strip club. Directly above the Voyeur West Hollywood charge, the RNC federal disclosure also has a matching payment to direct-mail consultant Erik Brown. No matter if Michael Steele actually attended the event where $ 1,946.25 worth of “meals” were charged at Voyeur West Hollywood, as the RNC Chairman he had to say yes to the expense. In their press release today, the RNC has requested the money be returned to the RNC; the RNC is also conducting an internal investigation.

Michael Steele’s other RNC spending items

As well as the $ 1,946.25 spent at the West Hollywood strip club, Michael Steele has been the head of the Republican National Committee during many other disputed expenses. When in California in February, the RNC spent over $ 15,000 at the Beverly Hills Hotel and Four Seasons. Michael Steele has also personally used over $ 29,000 worth of private jets and airplanes in just February. In response, the RNC has said that these expenditures are more like guaranteed loans – that high-dollar benefactors have come to demand red-carpet treatment.

Michael Steele not making friends with some RNC members

Michael Steele has been the head of the Republican National Committee since January of 2009. One large Republican party donor was quoted saying Michael Steele “fancies himself a presidential candidate and wants all of the trappings and gets them by using other people’s money”. Michael Steele has also faced harsh criticism for spending RNC money on high-end catering from Wolfgang Puck where previous heads of the RNC used Chic-fil-A. In April of 2009, the Republican National Committee passed a new rule that any checks from the Republican National Committee be signed by two officers.

No matter what Michael Steele has spent cash on, the federal disclosure makes it clear the RNC is bleeding cash. Many conservatives are beginning to question if the Republican National Committee is spending fund raising dollars effectively.