MEMO: Tuesday Takeaways: King takes fundraising lead; Vilsack Campaign spends more than it takes in

MEMO: Tuesday Takeaways: King takes fundraising lead; Vilsack Campaign spends more than it takes in

From: Jake Ketzner, King for Congress Campaign Manager

To: Interested Parties

While Congressman Steve King’s campaign continues to gain momentum, grassroots volunteers, and financial support, Christie Vilsack’s Pre-Primary FEC disclosure filed on May 24^th shows a campaign losing momentum.  The FEC pre-primary disclosure for both candidates reveals four key items

1. Christie Vilsack’s disclosure reveals she broke her own campaign’s fundraising promise as Iowans learn more about her extreme liberal views and her Iowa support erodes.
2. Just a few months ago the Vilsack campaign had almost $250,000 more cash on hand than King for Congress. That monetary advantage has evaporated as King now has more financial support in terms of donors and cash on hand.
3. The Vilsack campaign has spent more money than it took in from April 1^st to May 16^th and continues to rely on liberal supporters from New York, California and Chicago to stay competitive.
4. King for Congress reported raising $372,651.85 and has $1,033,164.92 cash on hand, while the Vilsack campaign reported raising $231,321.13 and has $888,665.25 cash on hand.

Christie Vilsack’s disclosure reveals she broke her own campaign’s fundraising pledge. In fact, she broke a campaign promise she, and her husband, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, made.

Christie Vilsack’s campaign asked Washington D.C. PACs to refrain from giving to her campaign if they did business with the USDA. On a D.C. fundraising flier the Vilsack campaign stated, “To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Christie Vilsack for Iowa respectfully declines contributions from political action committees whose company has a regulatory relationship with, directly lobbies, or directly receives funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, or from an individual federal lobbyist who lobbies the Department.”

Remember, Sec. Vilsack said his wife’s campaign isn’t accepting money from contributors who have done business with the USDA.

While the King Campaign encourages her efforts to eliminate conflicts of interest with her husband’s agency, the Vilsack campaign’s change of course is troubling.

In her last campaign report, Vilsack accepted a $500 check from the Council on Affordable and Rural Housing (CARH). CARH’s Web site states, “CARH represents the views and concerns of its members before Congress and appropriate officials at the Department of Agriculture (USDA)…”

This is a clear violation of her own campaign’s pledge.

Over the past few weeks, Vilsack has held events in Washington, D.C., had Dr. Jill Biden as a special guest for a fundraiser, and now Former President Bill Clinton will try and bail her poor fundraising numbers out with a fundraiser in New York City tomorrow.

This comes as no surprise as Iowans become aware of Christie Vilsack’s support of President Obama and Nancy Pelosi’s failed policies, which include the $831 billion Economic Stimulus Package, ObamaCare and her opposition to a common-sense Balanced Budget Amendment to reign in Washington’s out-of-control spending. Iowans know you can’t spend your way out of a $16 trillion debt and government can’t create jobs with massive bailouts and onerous regulations.

As her most recent report shows, Vilsack has received surprisingly little financial support from Iowans for her electoral bid. She has been forced to rely increasingly on outside support from unions and coastal liberal elites to fill her campaign war chest in her effort to oust King, a lifelong resident of the 4th district who has received 80% of his individual contributions from Iowans.

We’re not surprised Christie Vilsack is running to left-wing sympathizers in New York City and Washington, D.C. and breaking her own rules to remain competitive.  After all, in the first six weeks of the second quarter this year Steve King raised nearly $150,000 more than Vilsack and has almost $225,000 more cash on hand.

Iowans are smart enough to see through Christie Vilsack’s game of ducking questions, hiding from 4^th District voters by spending time in liberal hotbeds and broken campaign promises.

While Christie Vilsack hobnobs with liberal elites at ritzy out-of-state fundraisers, Congressman King will continue working to restore our American dream.