Amid the spectacular ski slopes of the northern Utah mountains, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly used political donations to pay for four visits to an exclusive resort known for its downhill events and picturesque views of the greater Rocky Mountains.

In all, the trips totaled nearly $52,000 at the St. Regis Deer Valley retreat, where balconies, sprawling sun decks and inground pools face snow-capped mountains and lush evergreens.

But Mr. Kelly did not limit his travel to just the five-star vacation spot during the 2020 election cycle . From the same pool of funds, he spent $19,000 at Georgia’s Sea Island where five miles of private beach line the small isle of upscale cottages and golf greens.

The GOP House member from the working-class area of Western Pennsylvania dipped into his leadership PAC — a pot of money that’s supposed to help political allies — and spent about $160,000 on airfare, trendy resorts and other expenses that are now the focus of an ethics complaint to a government panel that investigates lawmakers for misconduct.

Mr. Kelly is not alone in making controversial expenditures using the special pool of money that experts say has turned into a “slush fund” that allows candidates to spend without the traditional campaign limits.

The Campaign Legal Center, a Washington finance watchdog, filed complaints with the Office of Congressional Ethics against Mr. Kelly and two other representatives, Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Gwen Moore, D-Wis., raising critical questions about whether the lawmakers abused their positions and violated ethics rules.