RNC spends lavishly on decor, limos while DNC focuses on get-out-the vote, data, local parties: report

The Republican National Convention (RNC) has spent $1.5 million on floral arrangements, private jets, and media consultants, among other expenses.  

First reported by Jennifer Van Laar for RedState, other expenses included limousines, tickets to Broadway shows, and other more high-end ticket items. 

The figures taken from the Federal Election Commission are between Oct. 2022 and Nov. 2023.  

As compared to the Democratic National Convention (DNC), the RNC spent over $250,000 on limousines compared to the DNC which only spent about $7,000. Office supplies expenses, similarly, were much higher than the DNC’s. Nearly $300,000 was spent by the RNC versus $45,000 at the DNC on office supplies during the time frame.  

The DNC spent more than the RNC in categories related to voters and state parties, with the DNC spending $235,865 on voter file maintenance compared to the RNC’s $39,223, the DNC spending over $1.6 million on "get out the vote" texting compared to the $86,019 spent by the RNC, and the DNC transferred around $10 million more to state parties, transferring $23,835,437 compared to the RNC’s $13,800,200.

Van Laar wrote, "Frugality has long been a conservative principle, even at the RNC." 

A previous investigation from Dec. 2022 revealed similar levels of spending as well. In 2010, RNC Chair Michael Steele was criticized and lost his position as a result of donors becoming angry about high spending levels. During the Bush administration, frugality was the norm so much so that  “Karl Rove would b*tch if there were flowers on the tables” and parties were catered with Chick-fil-A.  

Over the time frame of spending analyzed, the RNC spent an average of $83,000 a month on management consulting. This amounted to a total of over $1 million in contrast with the DNC which spent around 10 percent of that figure.  

There have been calls to oust Ronna McDaniel as the RNC chair from Republicans up to and including the presumed nominee for the 2024 election, former President Donald Trump.