A Democratic Michigan lawmaker admitted to spending hundreds of dollars from his campaign fund at a strip club for a “constituent meeting.”
State Rep. Jewell Jones’s recent fundraising report showed he spent $221 at the Pantheion Club, a local strip club.
During an interview with the Detroit News, Jones called the venue a “lounge,” adding that he wasn’t sure if it was a strip club.
“We have [to] meet people where they’re at some times … #HOLLA,” Jones said in a text message following the phone interview.
A social media account with same name and location as the Pantheion Club describes the establishment as “the oldest and most established gentlemen’s club in Michigan.”
The reason for Jones’s meeting at the strip club, according to the fundraising report, was that he had to be there for a “constituent meeting to discuss potential economic projects in Inkster.”
Also: Rep. Jones spent more than $200 from his campaign account at a strip club, calling it an office expense.
The reason? “constituent meeting to discuss potential economic projects in Inkster” https://t.co/6FoVcKtPdE pic.twitter.com/eGEjBeEa91
— Simon D. Schuster (@Simon_Schuster) July 26, 2021
His campaign spent a total of $6,400 on meetings at other restaurants and lounges between Jan. 1 through July 20. One bill was for $696 at a Las Vegas bar, Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar, which Jones claims was a “dinner meeting with other legislators.”
Jones is already facing charges after he was arrested on April 6 for a drunken-driving incident.
His blood alcohol content was reportedly marked at 0.19 when the police pulled him over for swerving in and out of lanes and into a ditch on the side of the road. Prosecutors also said Jones was uncooperative with officers.
He was charged with resisting arrest, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless driving, and possession of a weapon while under the influence.
Last week, a judge found Jones violated his bond for a second time and threatened jail time if it happened again.
