The campaign for Ted Strickland, a Democratic candidate for Senate in Ohio, spent nearly $12,000 in campaign funds on a dozen catering bills in the first months of his bid for federal office.
The bulk of the money went to restaurants or individuals located outside the state of Ohio, including several establishments located in Washington, D.C., and New York City, according to a Washington Free Beacon review of campaign expenditure records.
Strickland’s campaign spent more than $4,500 on four catering bills at restaurants in the nation’s capital. One of the payments exceeded $2,000 and was paid in April to Art and Soul, which Zagat describes as a farm-to-table American-Southern restaurant that costs approximately $43 per person.
The eatery is co-owned by celebrity chef Art Smith, famous for appearances on Top Chef and other cooking programs. Smith once served as a personal chef for Oprah Winfrey and worked for former Florida governor Jeb Bush, a Republican presidential candidate.
Strickland’s campaign also paid over $1,200 to Bistro Bis in Washington, D.C., for catering in July. The French restaurant situated on Capitol Hill is described as an "expense-account" bistro by Zagat and costs about $54 per person to dine there. Strickland appears to be a fan of French cuisine on Capitol Hill, also paying nearly $1,000 to Bistro Cacao for catering in August.
Strickland also spent hundreds in campaign dollars on meals in New York City, including one bill at an upscale restaurant on Park Avenue in July. The restaurant, called Park Avenue, changes its offerings seasonally. Zagat notes that the eatery is "not cheap" and costs approximately $70 per person. The bill cost $226.
The Senate candidate’s campaign also wrote five checks for catering in Ohio, amounting to about $5,700. His largest catering bill amounted to more than $2,500 and was paid to Due Amici, an Italian restaurant in Columbus that costs about $30 per patron, according to OpenTable.
The nearly $12,000 was spent on catering over a period of five months during the first three quarters of 2015. Several catering bills were paid on the same day but to places in different cities. Only one of the 12 sums was specified as a bill for catering for a fundraiser.
On July 1, Strickland’s campaign spent nearly $2,500 on three catering purchases in three different cities. On Aug. 4, the former governor paid almost $500 for catering services in two different cities. Finally, on Aug. 26, the Strickland campaign spent nearly $3,500 on two catering bills in two different cities.
Two of the payments for catering services were paid to individuals and not eateries. The Strickland campaign paid over $700 in May for catering for a fundraising event to Capri Cafaro, a Democratic state senator representing the 32nd district of Ohio.
And, at the end of June, Strickland’s campaign signed a check for almost $1,000 to Lazar M. Palnick, a Pittsburgh attorney, for catering. Palnick is a longtime friend of the Clintons and one of Hillary Clinton’s top 2016 bundlers, having raised upwards of $100,000 for her presidential campaign. Palnick has also contributed almost $2,000 to Strickland’s Senate ambitions, one of the 28 Clinton fundraisers who have done so, the Free Beacon previously reported.
Strickland’s competition for the Democratic nomination for Senate, Cincinnati city councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, has spent $1,723 on catering expenses, according to campaign expenditure records.
The Strickland campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Strickland has been vocal about his travel to cities such as New York, Boston, and Washington in order to fundraise. Trips to the D.C. area have been fruitful, as the Senate candidate has raised over $170,000 from consultants, lobbyists, and others living there.