James Kyrkanides, Wesley Hunt’s former chief of staff and current campaign manager, billed taxpayers more than $44,000 for hotel stays over three years, an average of about $457 per night across 97 nights. Kyrkanides says the claims were approved by the House finance office, covered travel for other staff as well as himself, and included incidental charges; he declined to provide receipts. Ethics watchdogs called the pattern excessive and urged stronger independent oversight of congressional spending.
Top Wesley Hunt Aide Billed Taxpayers About $44,000 In Hotel Costs, Records Show
James Kyrkanides, who served as Rep. Wesley Hunt’s congressional chief of staff and is now his campaign manager, billed taxpayers more than $44,000 for hotel stays over a three-year period, according to a POLITICO analysis of House expense records. The charges averaged roughly $457 per night — about four times the General Services Administration (GSA) benchmark that many federal employees use as a reference.
Expense Details
The total reflected 97 nights across 49 separate stays. Itemized examples in the records include a one-night bill of $805 on Jan. 3, 2025, a $1,692 charge for a May 20–22, 2024 stay, and $1,321 for two nights beginning Aug. 6, 2024. House disclosure rules do not require staff to list hotel names or cities for each stay; Kyrkanides declined to identify the properties.
Response From Kyrkanides And The Office
Kyrkanides said every reimbursement was reviewed and approved by the House chief administrative officer’s finance office. He told reporters that less than half of the reimbursed funds went to him personally, and the remainder covered travel expenses for other Hunt staffers, but he declined to provide receipts to substantiate that allocation.
He confirmed Washington, D.C., was his primary workplace during the period in question and said many claims were for trips to Hunt’s hometown of Houston, where the GSA’s recommended lodging rate is $128 per night. He also cited stays in Washington ($234 average GSA rate), San Diego ($205) and New York ($277) over the last year. Kyrkanides noted that his reimbursements included incidental charges — food, beverages and parking — that GSA lodging rates do not cover; subtracting those items, he said, reduces the average nightly lodging cost (excluding taxes) to about $269.
Kyrkanides also referenced GSA guidance that can allow reimbursements above the standard rate — in some cases up to 300% of the recommended rate — when no other rooms are available.
Official And Outside Reactions
A Hunt campaign spokesperson said, “All transactions in this office are approved by the chief administrative officer, made public, and carried out in accordance with the highest ethical guidelines.” A spokesperson for the House chief administrative officer’s office declined to comment.
Donald Sherman, president and CEO of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, called the pattern of reimbursements “excessive” and said it underscores the need for stronger independent oversight of congressional spending. “The expenses themselves certainly suggest that there should be more scrutiny on Congressman Hunt and his staff about how they are spending taxpayer funds,” Sherman said, adding that approvals can sometimes amount to little more than “checking boxes.”
Political Context
Hunt is contesting a competitive Republican primary for the U.S. Senate in Texas against Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. A RealClearPolitics average of recent polls shows Hunt running third in the race. Former President Donald Trump has not endorsed a candidate in the contest.
What remains unclear: The public record does not list the specific hotels or locations for each stay, and Kyrkanides has not produced receipts to corroborate his explanation that a substantial portion of the reimbursements covered other staff travel.
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