Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill to Repay $88,000

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) will repay the Treasury Department $88,000 for domestic charter planes that she co-owns, a McCaskill aide said Wednesday. A spokeswoman for McCaskill, who already is facing attacks from Republicans ahead of her 2012 campaign for reelection, stressed that her actions were legal and in accordance with Senate ethics rules—and actually cheaper than other travel options. McCaskill may have at least partially been motivated by image to pay back the money: The first-term senator has been pushing for more congressional oversight and transparency for lawmakers’ travel, and she even introduced a reform bill that cracks down on overseas travel.