Democratic governor nominee David Crowley agreed to quit the primary and endorse Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez in exchange for $250,000 and a paid job for his wife, a longtime Democratic operative told The Daily Wire in a report published Friday.
The Crowley campaign denied knowing of any deal. “We have no idea what you are talking about,” a campaign spokesman told the outlet. Rodriguez and her office did not respond to the outlet.
The account rests on one unnamed source, whom The Daily Wire described as familiar with the Rodriguez campaign’s internal discussions, and on “corroborating materials” the outlet said it reviewed but did not publish. No other outlet had independently confirmed it as of Friday night.
The source said the camps negotiated for about a month as Democratic insiders tried to clear the field against democratic socialist state Rep. Francesca Hong of Madison.
“The Crowley campaign made clear that David Crowley would not endorse Lieutenant Governor Rodriguez unless significant funds were promised for his campaign account or for his future political activities,” the source said.
“It was decided that $250,000 would be transferred to David Crowley’s campaign and that Ericka probably would receive a position,” the source added, saying the job was not specified but “it was clear that it would be a paid position.” Ericka Crowley directs the Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center, The Daily Wire reported.
Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, dropped out July 8 and backed Rodriguez. The next day, according to The Daily Wire, he said: “Nobody called me or anything like that to ask me to step out of this race.” He added that “there was no establishment process.”
Crowley for Wisconsin’s reports to the Wisconsin Ethics Commission covering January 1 through September 23 list no money from Sara Rodriguez For Wisconsin. Rodriguez’s reports for the same stretch list no transfer to Crowley.
On paper, her campaign could not have covered it anyway. Rodriguez closed July 27 with $43,474.19 on hand and $269,957.95 in unpaid obligations,her pre-primary report shows. By September 23, she reported $21,745.54 in cash and $231,330.56 owed.
State law also caps transfers: under Wis. Stat. 11.1101, a candidate committee may give a candidate for governor no more than $20,000.
The source, however, described the money as going to Crowley’s “campaign account or for his future political activities.” The report does not say whether any money moved. Crowley’s next state filing, covering September 24 through October 19, is due Monday.
Wisconsin’s election bribery law, Wis. Stat. 12.11, bars offering “anything of value, or any office or employment” to induce “any elector” to vote or refrain from voting. The statute does not expressly address paying a candidate to withdraw. It states that it “does not prohibit a candidate from publicly stating his or her preference for or support of any other candidate.”
The Republican Party of Wisconsin shared Daily Wire reporter Leif Le Mahieu’s post on X on Friday evening.
Rodriguez quit July 17 after her campaign found duplicated contributions that inflated its fundraising and cash totals. Crowley re-entered the next day with Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement and won the August 11 primary.
The question still on the table: did anyone from the Rodriguez camp promise Crowley money, or his wife a job, to get out?
