Most people would agree that public officials should be seen among the public, but State Comptroller Susana Mendoza might have pushed her luck after being spotted in a $32,000 SUV recently.
The Illinois Republican Party immediately jumped at the chance to point out that someone who ran on a promise of prioritizing what payments are made and to whom might not have been including herself.
Mendoza waited only "weeks into office to buy herself a $32,000 luxury featured SUV, sending her staff with a check to pay for the car in full," the GOP said in a statement. "Listing records reveal that [House Speaker Mike] Madigan's (D-Chicago) comptroller spent taxpayer dollars to get herself a “LOADED” SUV with heated leather seats, navigation, and a power liftgate -- luxury features paid for by you, the taxpayer."
Video footage of Mendoza’s vehicle showed her approaching and entering the car in an outdoor parking lot. A description provided by Capitol Fax touted the SUV as a limited edition 4x4 with 20-inch wheels, a third-row seat and rear-view camera.
Following the GOP’s posting of the video, Mendoza tweeted: “Way to creepily stalk me” and criticized the observer for not speaking to her.
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