HOUSTON -- From D.C. politics to a major production in L.A., some of you are asking Amy who paid for Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee's cross-country trip to attend Michael Jackson's memorial service earlier this month.

KPRC Local 2 investigative reporter Amy Davis took your question straight to the representative.

Jackson Lee has called for fact-finding investigations for all sorts of things, trying to figure out how your tax dollars are spent.

We turned the tables and asked her the question many of you want to know: who paid  for her trip to California for Michael Jackson's memorial?

It was a royal farewell for the King of Pop.

Thousands packed the Staples Center. We saw fans, family, pop stars and politician Shelia Jackson Lee.

"This Resolution 600 claims Michael Jackson a world humanitarian," Jackson Lee announced on-stage at the memorial.

No sooner than Jackson Lee finished her speech did viewer David Rogers sent this email:

"I would like to know who paid for Shelia Jackson Lee to go to L.A. for Michael Jackson's memorial. I don't feel that should be the taxpayers."

Local 2 Investigates wanted to know, too. We sent an open records request to the representative's Chief of Staff, asking for receipts and expense reports itemizing all travel expenses associated with Jackson Lee's trip and documents showing what funds were used to paid for it.

The response came within minutes, letting us know that the Texas Open Records Act "does not apply ... to Congresswoman Jackson Lee's office." The letter went on to say that "Congress and its members" are also excluded from queries under the "Freedom of Information Act."

The same tools Congress passed to keep your government open do not apply to them.

No one from Jackson Lee's office even replied to an e-mail when I wrote, "While I understand that Jackson Lee is not required to comply with Texas Open Records or FOIA requests, please accept this request for the information as a constituent and a member of the media."

After all that, you'd think Jackson Lee might have expected the question when she showed up at KPRC to talk about another issue.

"Who paid for that trip for you to go to that memorial service?" reporter Joel Eisenbaum asked Jackson Lee when she appeared live on the Sunday morning newscast. 

"Well, uh ... that ummm ... those resources are resources that I have and, therefore, they are in a way that does not interfere with anything that has to do with serving the United States Congress," answered Jackson Lee.

"Understood," Eisenbaum replied.  "So, public funds?"

"Those resources are resources that I have," said Jackson Lee.

Jackson Lee and all members of Congress are required to report any expenses where they use tax dollars or campaign contributions, but they don't have to report the expenses immediately. We will stay on top of this story and let you know what we find out.