Republican group complains to Ethics Board about Nutter's convention travel

Note: This post has been updated with additional information.

A Republican group has filed a complaint with the city Board of Ethics over Mayor Nutter's use of taxpayer dollars to take city workers to the Democratic National Convention.

Taxpayers paid $7,363.60 in travel costs to send five staffers -- two aides and three security officers -- with Nutter to the political event in Charlotte, NC, according to mayoral spokesman Mark McDonald. Nutter's travel and expenses were paid for through his campaign and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, of which he is president.

Matt Wolfe, a ward leader and part of an insurgent group of city Republicans, filed the complaint, which requests an investigation into the use of city money to send the two aides -- Lauren Walker and Tumar Alexander -- to the DNC. Wolfe said the group is not complaining about the security detail.

"The city employees who attended the convention are not supposed to be active in politics," Wolfe said.

McDonald called the complaint "unwarranted," saying the staffers were not doing political work.

"The bottom line is that while the mayor was down in Charlotte for a political event, he also conducted mayoral business and it was appropriate those staffers be with him," McDonald said. "They weren't wearing campaign hats or campaign buttons or engaging in political activity."

Shane Creamer, executive director of the Board of Ethics, declined comment.