U.S. Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) spends $20,000 on fundraisers at Fenway Park

The Republican ^

[matt04]

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal spent more than $20,000 on two recent fund-raisers at Fenway Park.

Neal, who represents the 2nd Congressional District, invited donors to join him at a New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox game on April 20 and at a 100th anniversary of Fenway Park celebration and game against the Cleveland Indians on May 11.

His fund-raising report released Monday for the quarter that ran through June listed Neal as spending $5,142 at Aramark Fenway to pay for food and drinks, and another $1,680 on Red Sox tickets. However, Neal’s finance report covering the previous quarter reported that Neal actually paid $15,675 for the Red Sox tickets in February.

An invitation obtained by the Sunlight Foundation’s Party Time did not include ticket prices for donors. Neal hosted similar fund-raisers in 2008 at two Red Sox-Cleveland Indians games. Tickets for those events cost attendees $2,500.

Neal’s campaign would not say which seats the congressman bought or how many people attended at what price. According to the Red Sox, the cost for a private suite for the April 20 game ranged from $8,500 to $10,000, depending on the suite. Suite prices for the May 11 game ranged from $5,000 to $6,000. Suites can generally hold up to 25 people, according to the team’s website.

“Campaign contributions are required by law to be reported to the FEC and are a matter of public record,” said Neal spokesman Matt Fenlon. “Contributions from these events are no different and we’ve done that.”

In March 2011, Neal paid another $10,750 to the Red Sox for game tickets, marked as a fundraising expense, according to FEC filings.

[BlackElk]

As a Yankee fan since Mickey Mantle was a rookie, I must say that I am not surprised.

[Vermont Lt]

Richie Neal: the dullest man alive. He has his head so far up Peolsi’s arse, it’s surprising he could see the game.