Discrepancies have arisen between Facebook posts by Sen. Roger Marshall and official travel records, raising questions about his whereabouts during key dates.
Public records document travel expenses for offices, campaigns, and political action committees (PACs) associated with federal lawmakers. Inconsistencies were found by comparing the dates of Marshall’s Facebook activity with these official records.
Currently seeking reelection, Marshall has faced criticism for frequent trips outside Kansas, particularly to his second home in Sarasota, FL.
On May 11, 2024, Marshall shared a Facebook post about visiting the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Hutchinson. Two days later, he posted about attending a church service nearby.
Marshall stated, “I always enjoy the opportunity to stop in and worship with Kansans across the state,” adding his thanks to Central Christian Church in Wichita for the worship opportunity.
However, an expense report from Marshall’s office indicates that he flew from Washington, D.C., to Sarasota on May 10, 2024, returning four days later. During this trip, his PAC also expensed a meal at the Banana Cafe in Key West, FL.
The expense report described the airfare as “senator transportation,” while travel by his aides was listed as “staff transportation.”
Marshall has also been noted for posting about Kansas events days or weeks after they occurred, presenting them as recent activities.
In May 2023, Marshall posted about attending an Agricultural Business Council roundtable in Kansas City with Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, an event that actually took place in April. On the posting day, his PAC rented a room at the Ritz Carlton in Fernandina Beach, FL.
It remains unclear if the room was used by Marshall or someone else.
In March 2024, a Facebook post depicted Marshall with high school students in Hays, KS, for an event held in February. The day after, his PAC expensed a meal at a Sarasota steakhouse.
The following day, he posted as if he were in Kansas, despite his office reporting the purchase of event supplies in Sarasota.
In March 2023, nearly $2,000 in travel expenses were reported by Marshall’s office for a Utah trip, during which he posted about meeting constituents in Bel Aire, KS, and visiting a Wichita factory.
In September 2023, multiple Facebook posts suggested Marshall was in Kansas while records showed trips to Vermont and Nashville, Tennessee.
Marshall has dismissed criticism of his travel as “balonga,” inviting scrutiny of his Facebook feed in response to the allegations.
He wrote on August 17, “Scroll back through this feed. It’s all right there. Kansas stops, DC meetings or TV hits, and a few fishing pics at home in rural Stafford County!”
Marshall’s reelection campaign faces a significant challenge from Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton, who frequently asserts that Marshall only “pretends to live in Kansas.”
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