The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!
It’s not clear exactly why a group of Republicans decided to visit a risque West Hollywood nightclub called Voyeur, which features bondage themes like performers in horse bridles. What is known at this point is that it was an “after-hours, non-official get-together” that followed a meeting of young Republican donors, and it should not have been paid for with party money, a top Republican National Committee official says in a memo (via The Los Angeles Times). It’s also clear that the expenses, first exposed by the conservative Daily Caller, have triggered a round of GOP infighting over the leadership ability of RNC Chairman Michael Steele. While Steele certainly has his critics, he also has ardent supporters, including Dick Wadhams, chairman of the Colorado GOP. Despite the media firestorm over spending on bondage-themed clubbing, as well as tens of thousands of donor dollars for limousines, posh hotels, and private jets, Wadhams stands by Steele, crediting him for GOP success in recent elections in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Virginia. “You do have to spend money to raise money,” Wadhams tells The Washington Post. “I’ll give Chairman Steele the benefit of the doubt on spending on major donors.”