Republican US Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska, already under scrutiny for lavish use of campaign funds, has continued the pattern by spending roughly $13,000 at a Washington DC steakhouse that has not yet opened and checking into another luxury resort, according to the report. The spending comes as Sullivan faces a tight primary contest, raising questions about his judgement and priorities at a politically sensitive moment.

The report frames the spending as part of a broader pattern of extravagant campaign expenditure by Sullivan, following earlier revelations about similarly costly outlays. Critics are likely to seize on the timing, given the closeness of the upcoming primary race in Alaska, as evidence that the senator has not curbed the behaviour previously flagged as excessive.