United States CapitolHow much does it cost for a member of Congress to change a light bulb?
Apparently, it costs $39.
An election-spending report for former Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) shows that the former lawmaker was billed that amount to have a light bulb changed in his campaign office.
The expense is one of many details contained in a report compiled by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) that examines how former lawmakers spend leftover funds in their campaign accounts. The study is called "No Strings Attached: How Former Members Spend Their Excess Campaign Funds."
The report found that dozens of former lawmakers spent their excess funds on retirement parties, flowers, Christmas cards, stationary, mementoes, shredding documents and hauling trash.
The spending reports show that Shay's campaign was billed for the bulb three days after he lost his re-election bid in 2008 by the landlord for his campaign headquarters.
Shays is now running for Senate.
Read more: The Wall Street Journal
