Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann issued the following statement regarding State Treasurer Fitzgerald's call for increased borrowing:
"Look, we all get it. Mike Fitzgerald is one of two remaining statewide Democrats in a state Hillary Clinton lost by a landslide. In his predictably pathetic desperation to hold onto his position, he's falsely selling himself as Iowa's white knight while crying wolf to curry favor with the special interests who he needs to fund his campaign." "This very same Mike Fitzgerald stood idly by while Big Debt Chet enacted an across the board, 10% cut. With a handful of Democrats running for Governor and fighting for money and media attention, it can't be easy for a weak candidate like Fitzgerald to break through. But to recklessly and irresponsibly use scare tactics in order to fill his campaign coffers and get a few media hits is disappointing at best and downright disturbing at worst." BACKGROUND:
- Mike Fitzgerald just wrapped up a disastrous cycle as a top Iowa surrogate for Hillary Clinton, who lost Iowa by 10 points;
- Despite being a statewide name for the past 34 years, Fitzgerald failed to clear 53% in either of his last two campaigns;
- Fitzgerald's fundraising has lagged the last two cycles, only raising an average of 90k per election;
- With his campaign coffers dry, and at risk of losing his first election next year, what better way to burnish his reputation and replenish his campaign funds than by selling out Iowa taxpayers to his Wall Street pals?
