Michigan Lawmaker Defends Using Campaign Cash At Strip Club

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DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan lawmaker who spent campaign money at a strip club said it has "great lamb chops."

State Rep. Jewell Jones, a Democrat, reported spending $221 in March at the Pantheion Club in Dearborn to discuss economic development, The Detroit News reported, citing public records.

"We have (to) meet people where they're at some times ... #HOLLA," Jones said in a text message to a reporter Monday.

He added that the suburban Detroit club has "great lamb chops."

Jones also spent about $700 at a Las Vegas restaurant in March. It was described in records as a "dinner meeting with other legislators."

Simon Schuster, director of a watchdog group, the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, said it's not unusual for a lawmaker to use campaign money for meals. But doing so at a strip club "truly pushes the limit of credulity," Schuster said.

Jones, who is in his mid-20s, has made headlines lately for a drunken driving case, which is pending in Livingston County.