It’s no surprise that the Democrat Party is full of corruption. The question is, how much?
And these official records show just how corrupt congressional Democrats really are.
Democratic Lawmakers’ El Salvador Trip Ignites Funding Controversy
A springtime journey to El Salvador by several House Democrats has stirred debate, with thousands of campaign dollars spent on flights and a stay at a luxurious Hilton hotel, despite claims from some that they covered costs personally. Democrat Representatives Robert Garcia of California, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, and Maxine Dexter of Oregon got to San Salvador on April 21 to “pressure the Trump Administration” for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 gang member, per their joint statement.
Federal Election Commission records detail significant campaign spending for the trip. Garcia’s campaign paid nearly two thousand dollars for flights on Taca International Airlines on April 17 and over five hundred dollars for “event space rental” at the Hilton San Salvador on April 29.
Frost’s campaign spent over thirteen hundred dollars on Avianca and nearly a thousand on Volaris, with transactions recorded on May 8, shortly after the visit. Ansari’s campaign led with over twenty-six hundred dollars spent on Avianca Airlines across four payments between April 17 and 21.
Dexter’s campaign disbursed over thirteen hundred dollars for Taca Airlines travel on April 18. Notably, none of the lawmakers reported lodging expenses in El Salvador, according to a review of FEC filings by the New York Post.
All but Garcia stated they personally funded their travel. Ansari’s spokesperson clarified that the congresswoman paid for her own flights and hotel with personal funds, while the campaign covered a volunteer’s costs, emphasizing no Members’ Representational Allowance funds were used. Dexter’s team confirmed she self-funded her flight, and Frost’s representatives told Politico no taxpayer-funded MRA resources were involved. Garcia’s office noted to the New York Post that he used personal campaign funds for the trip.
FEC regulations classify travel expenses exceeding one thousand dollars as in-kind contributions when paid by a candidate, staffer, or volunteer. The lawmakers’ filings align with these rules, but the lack of reported lodging costs has raised questions about the trip’s full financial scope.
Separately, Representative Glenn Ivey of Maryland traveled to meet Abrego Garcia, a former constituent, spending just under three hundred dollars in campaign funds. Ivey’s communications director, Ramón Korionoff, stated that no MRA or taxpayer funds were used, with the campaign covering costs in line with House Administration and FEC guidelines.
Ivey, he added, values transparency in assessing U.S. immigration policies. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the only Democrat to meet Abrego Garcia, reported no campaign spending for a mid-April trip, later describing the encounter as a staged photo-op by Salvadoran officials to embarrass him.
Senate Republicans’ campaign arm seized the moment, sarcastically offering “one-way” tickets for additional Democrats to visit El Salvador.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York reportedly advised against the trip but later praised Dexter and Van Hollen, lauding the latter’s “great leadership” for visiting CECOT, El Salvador’s infamous megaprison.
When pressed on April 29 about Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas calling support for Abrego Garcia a “mistake,” Jeffries sidestepped the question.
Abrego Garcia, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2011, was among 260 suspected gang members deported by the Trump administration on March 15. Arrested in Maryland in 2019 with MS-13 members, a confidential informant identified him as an “active member” of the gang, holding the rank of “Chequeo” and using the alias “Chele.”
A 2019 immigration judge granted him a “withholding of removal” order, delaying deportation, but he was later detained in CECOT before being transferred to a lower-security facility.
In June, he returned to the U.S. and now faces human trafficking charges. His wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, and defense attorneys deny his alleged MS-13 ties.
The lawmakers’ use of campaign funds, alongside claims of personal financing, has sparked discussions about transparency and the motivations behind the trip. As questions persist, the controversy highlights just how corrupt the Democrat Party can be.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
