Alex Burgos, communications director for the Marco Rubio campaign for the U.S. Senate, offered the following response to my column, particularly in regard to the $134 haircut item that has attracted so much media attention:
On behalf of Marco Rubio's campaign, I'm
writing to address some of the points you raised in your column today.
First, you cite a $134 haircut. However, what appeared on the leaked
credit
card statement was a charge of $133.75 at Churchill's Barber Shop in
Miami. A simple call to that business would quickly reveal that
haircuts there cost $20.
Second, you present a detailed listing of Ray Sansom's charges, which
have nothing to do with Mr. Rubio.
Third, Mr. Rubio's expenses were covered by the state party because they
dealt with political activities he was engaged in on behalf of the
Republican Party. Nearly 90% of Rubio's expenditures were directly
related
to air travel, automobile travel, lodging and meals directly related to
his
official duties as a leader within the Republican Party of Florida. In
two
years, only 20 out of the nearly 800 transactions were personal in
nature,
and he paid directly for each of them. It's no different than any
employer
that foots the bill for employee expenses incurred while conducting
official
business.
For those charges that were of a personal nature, Rubio made timely
direct payments to American Express totaling more than $16,000 to cover all
personal expenditures. These were paid during the period that he had
the
card, not after he left office as some have erroneously reported or
claimed.
I know it is a difficult story to follow, as leaked political hits are
often
designed to be, but please let me know if I can help you separate fact
from
fiction.
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