Jasmine Crockett’s expenses for security and travel under scrutiny by conservative media

Prominent Black women online were quick to defend Crockett and call out the scrutiny of Crockett’s campaign spending.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett is being scrutinized by conservative media over some of her campaign expenses, with headlines suggesting the Texas Congresswoman is living lavishly on donor contributions.

“Woke ‘defund the police’ Democrat Jasmine Crockett spent $50,000 on private security,” reads a headline from the British tabloid Daily Mail.

Crockett has never endorsed defunding the police or used the term, but has called for resources to be re-allocated for non-violent public safety emergencies like mental health interventions. The Daily Mail also did not mention in its reporting that Crockett, a high-profile lawmaker, receives death threats and pays out of pocket because Congress does not provide enough security funding for members.

Another headline about Crockett from Fox News reads: “Far-left firebrand spends eye-popping amount of campaign cash on luxury hotels, ‘top-tier’ limo services.”

The story highlights expenses nearing $75,000 on security, “luxury” hotels, and transportation, including limousine services. Such expenses, which are legal under Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules, are not unusual for members of Congress.

Prominent Black women online were quick to defend Crockett and call out the scrutiny of Crockett’s campaign spending.

“Breaking News: Black Congresswoman, who constantly receives death threats from white supremacists, pays out of her own pocket for security and safe lodging while white supremacist president spends taxpayer money trafficking children,” wrote Elizabeth Booker Houston, an attorney and political commentator.

Author and podcaster Demetria Lucas noted that the scrutiny of itemized expenses was directly from the FEC’s website, which has been publicly available for weeks.

“There are over 1000 entries of Crockett’s spending this year. What’s not mentioned in these media reports is she primarily flies Southwest and Alaska Airlines, mostly gets around in Uber and Lyft, and stays at Marriotts and Homewood Suites. Most of her travel is back and forth to… Texas [Crockett’s home state],” said Lucas.

“The lion’s share of the expenses folks are fake outraged about, literally two-thirds, is personal security, a necessity given the way POTUS harasses her and the political violence in the US, which MAGA is, statistically, the overwhelming perpetrator of.”

Lucas called out conservative news outlets for “trying to create some sort of Uppity Negress, Birth of A Nation-esque storyline to 1) distract from these Epstein emails; and because 2) Crockett is contemplating a Senate run.”

She continued, “I’m familiar with four of the hotels MAGA folks are fake outraged about. They are NOT the most expensive or even exclusive in LA, NYC, Vegas, or M(artha’s) V(ineyard). I’ll assume that holds for the other cities. None of this is illegal, or even a scandal. You know what is scandalous? These Epstein emails. Release the files.”

Even actress Ryan Michelle Bathe weighed in: “Staying in a sh*tty hotel never made a White Supremacist change their mind about me. Keep being luxurious ladies!”