Pay To Not Play? Wisconsin’s David Crowley Cut A Lucrative Deal To Drop Out Of Gov Race, Insider Alleges

Wisconsin’s Democrat primary for governor was even messier than was known to the public, according to a party insider who says the contest’s eventual winner had earlier accepted a lucrative offer to drop out of the race.

Democrat David Crowley, who dropped out of the race in July only to step back in and emerge victorious weeks later, was persuaded by hundreds of thousands of dollars and a promise of a job for his wife, according to a longtime Democrat operative and corroborating materials reviewed exclusively by The Daily Wire. 

Crowley struck a deal with Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez as part of an effort to consolidate the vote against socialist candidate Francesca Hong, according to the political operative with first-hand knowledge of the events. The advisor, familiar with the Rodriguez campaign’s internal discussions, said that the deal involved Crowley exiting the race and endorsing Rodriguez in exchange for the transfer of $250,000 to his political coffers and a guaranteed role for his wife in a future Rodriguez administration.

“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 senior Democrat advisor said, adding that a paid position was guaranteed for his wife Ericka.

It was after this deal was finalized, the insider said, that Crowley dropped out of the race on July 8 and it was immediately reported that he would endorse Rodriguez. At a press conference a day later he stated the only reason for his decision was that Rodriguez was the “best candidate.”

“I want to be very clear about something,” Crowley said on July 9. “Nobody called me or anything like that to ask me to step out of this race. This race is about making sure that we can have the best candidate run in this race.” 

“So I want to be very clear that there was no establishment process. This is me making a decision in this race to support Sarah Rodriguez, because I believe that she is the best candidate,” he added.  

The Democrat operative says that behind the scenes, negotiations between the two camps about Crowley’s exit went on for about a month before an agreement was finalized.

“At that time, the Rodriguez campaign and other Democratic Party advisors and insiders, decided that there was a need to clear the field for a candidate other than Francesca Hong,” the advisor told The Daily Wire, noting that it was believed Rodriguez was in the best position to win. 

“It was decided that $250,000 would be transferred to David Crowley’s campaign and that Ericka probably would receive a position,” the advisor said, adding that the job was not specified but “it was clear that it would be a paid position.” Crowley’s wife currently works as director of the Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center, an organization that focuses on homelessness. 

The Crowley campaign, now less than two weeks out from its general election contest with Republican Tom Tiffany, denied awareness of any endorsement deal. “We have no idea what you are talking about,” a campaign spokesman said.

Neither Rodriguez or her office responded to texts, emails, or phone calls requesting comment. 

The election, of course, unfolded very differently than the Democrats believed it would.  

A brief surge in support for Rodriguez was short lived after reports emerged of inconsistencies in her campaign finance reports. She was forced to amend her reports multiple times after overcounting by hundreds of thousands of dollars, with reports that she only had about $35,000 cash on hand. In a shock to the political world, she abruptly dropped out.

“As we have continued to dig into our financial reports, it has become clear that there are issues that would be an ongoing distraction —  not just for this campaign, but for the primary and for Wisconsin,” Rodriguez said on July 17. “This race is too important to Wisconsin to let that happen.” 

Just one day after Rodriguez left the race, Crowley announced he was coming back in with the support of Democrat Governor Tony Evers. 

“He’s not just a candidate who can win in November, but he’s the kind of person who cares about doing the job right,” Evers said of Crowley on July 18. 

Less than a month later, Crowley would pull off the upset of the primary season, defeating the socialist Hong even as polls found her ahead by a large margin.

Polls currently show a close race between Crowley and Tiffany, who has served in both the state legislature and U.S. Congress. Crowley has maintained a roughly three point lead on average in the polls, but has stayed under 50% support.

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