Jeb Bush is 'burning money' on luxury hotels, private planes, big donors grumble

(Image credit: Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

last updated 28 January 2016

The deadline for presidential candidates and their super PACs to file quarterly spending reports is Sunday, but it's already pretty clear that Jeb Bush and his super PAC, Right to Rise, which has spent at least $82 million this election cycle, has little to show for it polling-wise, Reuters reports. Bush and his team spent $1.2 million on private planes between June and September 2015 (versus $700,000 spent by Hillary Clinton, for example, and $158,000 by Sen. Ted Cruz) and a higher percentage on luxury or "upper upscale" luxury hotels — 70 percent, or $125,000 — than his rivals, according to STR Global. Bush and Right to Rise have spent an estimated $82 million on ads, far more than Bush's competitors.

Some of Bush's well-heeled donors aren't happy with what they consider lavish spending, with 11 of 16 contacted by Reuters saying they are skeptical of how Bush's $100 million–plus war chest has been spent. "There is no return on investment on the Bush ad buys, zero," one unidentified big donor told Reuters. "They are burning money," groused a second major donor. A third high-dollar donor made this point: "Look, this is not the election cycle to be spending like a silver-spoon Establishment candidate.... It just doesn’t look right."

The Bush campaign and Right to Rise PAC disputed the notion that Bush has been profligate in his campaign spending. "We are running a national campaign that is competing everywhere and we have made investments that have allowed us to do what serious campaigns must do to be competitive in the primary and general elections," says Bush spokeswoman Kristy Campbell. You can read more about Bush's campaign spending at Reuters.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.