This is one of the most engaging articles I've read lately—about a completely perplexing topic: Kyrsten Sinema's Facebook Marketplace presence. Christina Cauterucci, writing for Slate, provides a deep dive into the Facebook Marketplace activity of a user named "Kyrsten Sinema." Cauterucci starts with listing some of what's on offer:
The user is currently hawking—among other things—a $215 cycling ensemble, a $25 trucker hat, and a $150 stainless steel watch with a silicone strap. Within the past six weeks, she has offloaded a $150 fitness tracker ring, an $80 cycling jersey, and a $500 bicycle travel case. Over the past two years, and across at least five Facebook groups for athletes, she has listed several dozen personal items, including a $100 pair of sunglasses ("Just too big for my tiny head!!"), two $50 puffer jackets, three $75 pairs of high-heeled boots, a $75 cycling bib, a $60 Lululemon raincoat, several mesh tanks at $55 a pop ($20 off the current retail price), and multiple bikinis, priced between $60 and $70, that ranged from "never worn" to "in great condition."
The rest of the piece takes the reader on a wild ride, as Cauterucci compares and contrasts what Sinema was doing as Senator on any given day with what she was offering up on Facebook Marketplace on those same days. Cauterucci even buys an item and picks it up in person to see if she can confirm whether the person on Marketplace is actually Sinema or not. Is the user "Kyrsten Sinema," who uses a photo of the real Sinema as their avatar, actually Senator Sinema? We still don't know for sure. Cauterucci explains:
Sen. Sinema's staff would neither confirm nor deny that the Facebook Marketplace user was her, and they did not respond to fact-checking queries. After I explained in multiple emails that my piece was about someone selling triathlon gear on Facebook Marketplace under the senator's name and likeness, a spokesperson said she remained "perplexed": "What is the story you're working on about?" she asked. "Kyrsten's athletic hobbies? The fact that many Ironman / triathlete competitors resale gear?"
The whole thing is fascinating—I highly recommend you go read it!
