House Pols Lease Pricy Cars With Tax Dollars

If you're looking to pimp your ride, maybe you should run for Congress.

Federal records show Rep. Charles Rangel and other New York members of the House of Representatives spent tax dollars on expensive auto leases, according to a published report.

Rep. Rangel had been dishing out $777 a month to lease a Cadillac DeVille before recently ending his lease, his aids told The New York Daily News.
 
Rangel is not the only local member of the House paying for his ride on the public dime. Rep. Gregory Meeks (Queens) spends $998 a month on a pricey Lexus lease and Ulster County's Maurice Hinchey drove around in a 2007 BMW 530i for $499 a month, according to House records obtained by the Daily News.
 
It's perfectly legal for members of the House of Representatives to use their offices budgets to lease vehicles, although it's not the most fiscally responsible way to spend tax dollars during a nationwide financial crisis. 
 
Members of the Senate do not share the auto lease perk.
 
Dick Dadey of the watchdog group Citizens Union said it's a fair practice, but politicians should spend the money more carefully "given the deficits the United States runs."
 
If you’re looking for a frugal politician in the House, then maybe Rep. Anthony Weiner is your man. Weiner chauffeurs his model friends around in a Chevy Impala at a cost of $147 a month. Who knew models were into Chevys? 
Contact Us