Moran wasted $2,000 in taxpayer dollars on Facebook event

As we reported in April, Jim Moran spent taxpayer dollars to send a mailing advertising an event he was hosting about security and privacy on Facebook. This was a legitimate use of taxpayer dollars unlike other things he’s sent. The outrage is that Moran didn’t even feel compelled to stay at his own event. RetireJimMoran was there and listened to Jim Moran say in his introduction speech to the audience of about 20 that he was going to “kick back” and listen to the presentation. Moran slowly walked up the stairs of the auditorium while shaking hands, left the room, left the school, and drove away in his car.

The mailing cost $2,018.75 in taxpayer dollars to prepare and mail. Now, that’s practically nothing compared to the billions the federal government spends every day. But he mailed 75,073 and about 20 people showed up, and he left his own event. If he didn’t think the event was interesting enough to stay for, why did he spent $2,000 advertising it?

(The $2,018.75 figure comes from page 3205 of the Quarterly Statement of Disbursements of the House, viewable in PDF format here.)