From ‘Comrade Barbara’ to Limousine Liberal: Barbara Lee Dropped $20K On Luxury Cars, Filings Show

Barbara Lee, a California congresswoman previously known for her admiration towards communists, has spent more than $20,000 from her campaign funds on limousines and chauffeured cars in the last election cycle.

Lee, who was once referred to as “Comrade Barbara” by her leftist acquaintances, spent over $5,000 on a Washington, D.C. limousine service that offers a Hummer limousine, a Rolls-Royce, and a Bentley. Moreover, she spent more than $7,000 on a “premier taxi service” in Martha’s Vineyard, a small Massachusetts island quite distant from her district. According to federal financial disclosures, Lee spent at least $22,862 on travel during the last cycle.

Lee’s high-end spending on luxury transportation services may tarnish her progressive public image, especially as she campaigns for Democrat Dianne Feinstein’s now-vacant Senate seat. Formerly known for her communist sympathies and connections to Soviet front groups, Lee has been portraying herself as “a voice for the people.” Her campaign expenditures may become a matter of concern as she competes against her well-funded California colleagues, fellow Democratic representatives Katie Porter and Adam Schiff.

Lee’s office did not provide any response to this news.

A review of the congresswoman’s campaign receipts reveals that she knows how to travel in style. For instance, Singh Car Service, Lee’s preferred car service in Washington D.C., offers to transport its riders from town to Dulles Airport in a Hummer limousine for just $316. For an additional $110, the rider can enjoy a bottle of French champagne during the trip, and $750 can get a team of bodyguards. During her frequent fundraising trips to Martha’s Vineyard, Lee uses Adam Cab, a taxi service that costs her $7,206. Martha’s Vineyard is known for deporting illegal immigrants, and it’s uncertain why Lee spends so much time there. However, Lee rented seven different venues on the island for campaign events from June to September, which appears to explain her frequent trips there.

In her home district of San Francisco, Lee hired K&B Luxury Limousine Service in the East Bay for rides costing between $165 to $626. Additionally, she spent $1,948 on Fresno’s Royal Coach Limousines, which features vintage Jaguar saloon cars and limos on their website.

Lee’s spending on luxury travel expenses outpaced her fellow California Democrats. For example, Representative Anna Eshoo, who represents Silicon Valley, spent only about $3,189 on ground transportation last cycle. Recently retired Representative Jackie Speier’s campaign disclosures revealed that she spent only around $527.42 on Uber and Lyft.

Ironically, Lee has been complaining about the difficulties she faces while raising funds because she is a black progressive woman. In January, she told the San Francisco Chronicle, “For me to raise money, being a Black woman progressive, is 10 times harder than it is for anybody else. And that’s, again, part of this whole political system in this country and how people are viewed.”

Lee has been known for defending communists and murderers, such as the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and notorious cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal. In 2001, she submitted a report to the United Nations, claiming that Abu-Jamal was “framed” for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner due to his affiliation with black activist groups. Cynthia McKinney (D., Ga.), a former congresswoman who has said “Zionists” were behind 9/11, was one of Lee’s coauthors on this report.