Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez held a press conference Monday afternoon to address the campaign finance scandal that led to her campaign manager’s dismissal. She acknowledged the campaign currently has approximately $200,000 in cash on hand, has outstanding payments to vendors, and never secured the funds for the publicly announced $1 million ad buy.
Rodriguez stated she first became aware of the issue when the announced seven-figure ad buy, expected to air Tuesday, did not run. She acknowledged that contributions had been double-counted for months, inflating reported cash-on-hand and leaving the campaign significantly short of previously reported figures.
“We are moving forward with this campaign,” Rodriguez repeated. She claimed the scandal as “a bump in the road” and “not disqualifying,” directly responding to rival Democrat Joel Brennan’s earlier questions. She insisted TV ads will finally air starting next week, despite the cash crunch and unpaid invoices.
Campaign manager Kara Spencer was dismissed Sunday following “serious mismanagement and inaccuracies” in finance filings, including late and repeatedly amended January reports with apparent duplicate donations. Rodriguez stated she had received inaccurate reports for months but only became aware of the full extent last Thursday.
She confirmed the campaign raised about $1 million overall but now sits on roughly $200,000. The previously announced $1 million media buy is “not happening,” and she stated she does not know why that claim was made. Vendors remain unpaid, and no advertisements have aired.
Rodriguez, who has gained moderate support following endorsements from two former rivals, stated she will remain in the Aug. 11 Democratic primary. She faces challengers Mandela Barnes, socialist Francesca Hong, Joel Brennan, and Kelda Roys.
The Ethics Commission is being contacted to correct the filings. Observers immediately noted that with only $200,000 remaining and unpaid bills, “it’s hard to see how she can” keep the campaign active.
Rodriguez presented her response as evidence of decisive leadership for taking “swift action.” Critics, including Brennan, argue the campaign failed to manage its finances for this long while seeking to lead the state.
