By Paul Giblin | The Arizona Republic
On Dec. 17, 2014, Glendale City Councilman Sammy Chavira received a cheery email from his friend Ruben Gallego, who had just been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Gallego and his wife invited him to attend Gallego’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., via an email sent from Gallego’s campaign account to Chavira’s personal account.
Nineteen days later, Chavira arrived in Washington — and the charges started piling up: $1,282 for airfare on US Airways; $685 for two nights’ lodging at the JW Marriott hotel near the White House; $78 for a room-service steak burger and other meals; $30 for a couple of cab rides.
