Four days after accompanying Trump to Las Vegas, Billy Long spends $4K+ on meals, limo service on return trip

As President Donald Trump regaled the audience at the Las Vegas Convention Center September 20 with the thrilling story of how he won the 2016 election, Seventh District Congressman Billy Long was there to bask in his reflected glory.

Trump ripped into the Democrats.

"Today's Democrat party is held hostage by left wing haters, angry mobs, socialist fanatics, deep state bureaucrats and their fake news allies," Trump said to the delight of Billy Long and the partisan crowd.

After another lengthy "Make America Great Again" rally speech and an evening in Sin City, Trump flew to Springfield for another rally, accompanied by Billy Long on Air Force One.

At the Springfield rally, Long was the opening speaker and when it was over, the president headed back to Washington.

Billy Long headed back to Vegas.

It took a couple of days for the Congressman to get back to Las Vegas, but when he returned on Monday, September 24, he made up for lost time.

Long's quarterly financial report, filed October 15 with the Federal Election Commission shows he spent more than $4,000 for meals, drinks and limo service over a two-day period, all thanks to those who contributed to his re-election campaign.

Long's two-day adventure included $623 for "food/beverage" at Joe's Seafood and Prime Steak and Stone Crab, $360 paid to Executive Star Limo, and a whopping $2,297.42 for a meal at Craftsteak on September 24, followed by a $1,037.95 meal at Charlie's Bar and Grill on Tuesday, September 25.

Long appears to have checked in at the Flamingo Hotel, spending $250.13 for lodging, according to the report.

The records also include six uses of "Taxi Pass," spending just under $200.

There is no indication that anything that took place during Long's two extra days in Vegas is related to his campaign, which could be a violation of campaign finance laws, as could most of the nearly two dozen Vegas trips the Congressman has taken over the past eight years.

The FEC website offers the following guideline for use of campaign funds.

The campaign may not pay for admission to sporting events, concerts, theater and other forms of entertainment. Campaign funds may be used, however, if the entertainment is part of a specific officeholder or campaign activity. They may not be used for a leisure outing at which the discussion occasionally focuses on the campaign or official functions.

During the three-month period covered by the report, Long spent $13,738.83 for 76 meals, something which could also be a campaign finance violation.

From the FEC website:

Campaign funds may be used to pay for meals during face-to-face fundraising events. By contrast, a candidate may not use campaign funds to take his or her family out to dinner.