Marco Rubio Releases Two Years of American Express Statements

In a report earlier this year, the Times said campaign managers for 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney flagged Rubio's spending record while vetting him as a possible vice presidential running mate. Rubio had the party card through December 2008; over four years he charged more than $182,000 to AmEx, about $22,000 for personal expenses. The Texas senator has twice in the past two weeks mentioned Rubio by name for not being on the side of conservatives, pointing out his vote in favor of Trade Promotion Authority for the White House and his past support for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

What Rubio was "hiding" were records proving that he spent far less than expected on a charge card used for joint expenses - which was issued under his name and secured on his personal credit - than other party leaders at the time.

After a third strong civil argument execution and a skillful gutting of Jeb Bush on Sunday night, it's Florida Senator Marco Rubio's swing to venture into the national spotlight.

There was no criminal investigation into the actions.

Rubio on Wednesday played down the importance of the credit card and fended off questions about his finances, portraying himself as an everyday American who can relate to the struggles of the electorate.

"People need to understand what they're talking about".

'When the statements were later leaked during my Senate campaign, they invited press skepticism, confused a few of the public and allowed an opponent to suggest the party had paid for personal expenses, ' Rubio wrote in his book, An American Son. On Saturday, the campaign said eight of the 484 newly released charges were personal, pointing to the instances in which the senator reimbursed American Express.

On Wednesday morning, Rubio defended his use of the card while on ABC's Good Morning America. Rather, he was referencing statements from 2005 and 2006, Harris said.

Rubio's finances were an issue during his 2010 run for the U.S. Senate, and he has faced questions over his mortgage payments and a liquidated retirement account. Charges to grocery stores, a lumber yard and an electronics store also appear of a personal nature.

During the period, from January 2005 to October 2006, Rubio made a total of 484 charges to the American Express card - for a total of $64,777.82. There are also hotel charges in his hometown of Miami, including $308.98 at the Conrad Hotel Atrio in February 2007, with a $260.91 food and beverage charge, and a $162.07 charge at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami in September 2007.

GOP guidelines for party transactions are buttressed by IRS rules that restrict spending to the sole objective of "influencing elections", noted the Tampa Bay Times. "It was a charge card with American Express, and every month I would get a bill in my home, and I would review it. And if there was something on it that was personal, I would pay it. And if it wasn't, the party paid it". She concluded with her "mountain...out of [a] molehill" line.