Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez’s Campaign Finance Scandal Draws Sharp Rebuke from Rival Francesca Hong
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong seized on Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez’s campaign finance scandal Tuesday, using the Rodrigues campaign’s meltdown to highlight contrasts in transparency and accountability ahead of next month’s primary.
“Yesterday’s press conference was an unfortunate example of why voters are suspicious of traditional politics and leaders who refuse accountability,” Hong said. “Our campaign is committed to transparency, honesty, and earning the trust of Wisconsinites no matter where they sit on the political spectrum.”
Rodriguez held a widely-criticized press conference Monday after firing her campaign manager Sunday for “serious mismanagement and inaccuracies” in finance filings that included double-counted contributions and unreported expenses. The errors left her campaign hundreds of thousands of dollars short of expectations, derailing a planned $1 million television ad buy and leaving Rodriguez with just $200,000 in cash on hand.
Hong seized on her rival’s deep financial problems to highlight her own successful fundraising.
“We look forward to sharing some extremely good news with Wisconsin tomorrow that will show that, in these final 27 days, we’ve got the resources to win,” Hong said.
Rodriguez’s scandal has rocked the Democratic primary, as she now faces increasing calls to drop out of the race just days after it appeard that the party was coalescing around her as the institutional candidate to stop a socialist takeover led by Hong. Last week, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley dropped out of the race and endorsed Rodriguez while encouraging other Democratic candidates to do likewise.
