CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. (WDVM) — Travel expenses on the campaign finance report of West Virginia Second District Republican Congressman Alex Mooney are the subject of a complaint filed by a Jackson County constituent with the House Ethics Committee on Capitol Hill.

Campaign expenses typically go for yards signs, literature, professional polling, renting a campaign headquarters – a get-out-the-vote operation. So when expenses on West Virginia Congressman Alex Mooney’s campaign finance report included overseas travel, trips to California Thanksgiving week, and a ski retreat New Year’s weekend, an irate constituent, Jerry Payne from Jackson County, filed a formal complaint with the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. A Mooney ally says it is much to do about nothing.

“The complaint against Congressman Mooney is frivolous and politically motivated,” said Delegate Larry D. Kump (R – Berkeley and Morgan counties).

But Mooney’s rival next month, Democrat Cathy Kunkel, says she thinks whoever holds this seat in Congress should be focused on the district in West Virginia and not transatlantic air travel, trips to the west coast or hanging out on the slopes.

“It’s a sharp contrast to how we’ve been running our campaign,” says Kunkel, “with 24 town halls across the Second Congressional District the past four months.”

With just weeks to go until all ballots are cast, voters are hearing from both Mooney and Kunkel about their plans for the next Congress.

The Mooney campaign insists it followed all campaign finance regulations.