Southwest
Kyrsten Sinema did not hold a single public town hall as she spent $200K in taxpayer funds on private flights
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema spent over $200,000 on taxpayer-funded private flights since 2020 despite previously backing legislation to “hold Congress accountable” for luxury air travel. During this time, however, the independent Arizona senator did not hold a single public town hall with constituents.
Sinema has faced scrutiny over the use of the money from her Senate office budget on private air travel for her and her team members, including $116,000 in 2023 alone, according to past reports and figures verified by Fox News Digital.
The senator’s spokesperson defended the taxpayer-backed trips by saying that the funds had been used to maximize her time with constituents in her state.
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“Arizonans know it can take hours to get from Prescott to Yuma,” the spokesperson told the Arizona Republic in a written statement. “Senator Sinema maximizes her time in Arizona to connect with as many constituents in every corner of the state as possible.”
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Although the spokesperson said the private flights had been used to “connect with as many constituents” as possible, Sinema did not hold a single town hall open to the public as she burned through taxpayer cash on air travel.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has not said if she will seek re-election in 2024. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Sinema has participated in some tele-town halls over the years, but according to her website, the only in-person visit was to Honeywell in 2022, a group that has donated $75,000 to the senator’s Get Stuff Done PAC.
That town hall, however, was only open to employees of the company and closed to the public.
Rep. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat running for Sinema’s seat in 2024, has hit the senator several times for her lack of town halls. On April 1st, commonly known as April Fools’ Day, Gallego posted a pretend flyer for what appeared to be a Sinema town hall.
Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.,is running for the Arizona Senate in 2024. (Bill Clark)
“Glad to see Kyrsten Sinema finally holding a town hall in Arizona,” the Democrat posted on X. “Arizonans deserve a senator who will meet with them.”
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Sinema used the taxpayer cash on private flights despite previously supporting legislation to hold Congress accountable for luxury travel.
In 2017, she openly supported the No Ongoing Perks Enrichment (NOPE) Act, which sought “to prohibit the use of funds provided for the official travel expenses of Members of Congress and other officers and employees of the legislative branch for first-class airline accommodations.”
Sinema has not said if she will seek re-election in 2024, as candidates on both sides of the aisle line up to battle for her seat this fall.
Sinema did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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