Rand Paul spent his political contributions on lavish Italian vacation with limo service and luxury hotel: report

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is a fierce critic of government spending.

But the Kentuckian also has a taste for the good life and is not opposed to having a nice vacation on his donor's dime, according to information reviewed by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics and reported by the Courier-Journal.

Using funds from his Political Action Committee, Reinventing a New Direction, Paul spent $11,043 at restaurants in Italy and Malta last year.

He also spent $4,492 on limousine services in Rome and $1,904 on an upscale hotel in Athens.

Paul, who sometimes breaks with his fellow Republican, President Trump, also spent $1,575 at a restaurant in the Trump Hotel.

Paul is not exclusively snobby in his taste, though: He also bought clothes at a Men's Wearhouse in Nebraska and $201 at a TJ Maxx.

Other campaigns do this, the report pointed out, but Paul gives much less of his PAC money to other candidates than others.

Paul's spokesperson said that he used political donors money "to save taxpayer funds," according to the Courier-Journal.

"We chose to finance travel this way to save taxpayer funds, rather than at taxpayer expense as nearly every other elected official does," she said.