Landrieu campaign trip billed to taxpayers

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) mistakenly used more than $3,200 in taxpayer dollars to fly to a campaign fundraiser last year, according to a report published Wednesday by CNN. 

Her Senate office paid for the 400-mile round-trip charter flight on Nov. 8 from New Orleans to Lake Charles, La. 

Using taxpayer dollars for campaign purposes is illegal.

Landrieu’s campaign spokesman, Fabien Levy, told CNN that it was a mistake that has since been corrected. 

{mosads}”We take our finances very seriously and are glad we caught the vendor’s mistake and were able to rectify the matter as soon as possible,” Levy said.

Levy said the charter company mistakenly charged Landrieu’s Senate office instead of her campaign, which only noticed the error several weeks ago.

The campaign eventually paid for the flight on Aug. 4 and the company refunded her congressional office. 

The trip happened to be the same day President Obama visited New Orleans, where he delivered remarks on the economy. Landrieu didn’t attend the event because of the fundraiser. 

Landrieu is considered one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats and faces a tough reelection fight this November.