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Here's What $22,241.03 Bought Politicians At III Forks

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3forksreceipt.jpgWelcome to Receiptrocity, bringing you the strangest and most entertaining receipts America's restaurants have to offer. If you've got an interesting, notable or funny receipt, scan/photograph it and send it over to austin@eater.com.

This right here is a receipt for a $22,241.03 dinner at downtown steakhouse III Forks.

Don't panic, though, it's all a normal part of the way our elected officials like to wind down after a long legislative session, and the House Calendars Committee appears to party pretty hard. Via the Texas Tribune:

It cost $22,241.03 and required the use of 34 American Express cards, 11 MasterCards, and 20 Visa cards. The committee chairman, state Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, said there were about 140 people there, and most of them stayed for dinner.

That's an extraordinary amount of money, as these things go, but the events themselves are common. In a tradition that stretches back as far as anyone can remember, committees in the Texas Legislature throw self-congratulatory dinners to celebrate the completion of their work.

Besides the actual food, the legislators, staffers, lobbyists and other hangers-on spent the most money on wine, Don Julio and Glenlivet. One person slummed it with a $5.25 Bud Light.

The lobbyists, rather than the taxpayers of Texas, picked up the tab: "it's completely legal, as Hunter pointed out, so long as the lobbyists paying the bills report their expenses where everybody can go see them."

· An Expensive Celebration, Courtesy of the Lobby [Texas Tribune]
· All Receiptrocity Coverage on Eater Austin [-EATX-]
· All Politics Coverage on Eater Austin [-EATX-]

[Photo: Texas Tribune]

III Forks

1303 Legacy Drive, , TX 75034 (972) 267-1776 Visit Website

III Forks

111 Lavaca St Austin, TX 78701