Et Tu, Kathy?
More precisely:
Et Tu, Kathy?
When the chief law enforcement officer of the State poses with the, at best, ethically-challenged Lieutenant Governor, we can be pretty certain that there will be no justice when it comes to BHL’s serial flouting of campaign finance laws. Disgusting and disappointing:
When women lead, the job gets done…
Whether we’re protecting reproductive rights or fighting for high quality public schools, affordable healthcare, and good paying jobs and opportunities for all.
There’s a long history of strong, ambitious women leading in Delaware – and with your help, I will do my part to continue that legacy and make the First State the best place to live, work, and raise a family.
In the case of Val Longhurst, BHL, Kathy McGuiness and, it now appears, Kathleen Jennings, they will cross whatever ethical lines they need in order to achieve their goals.
Give me Sarah McBride, Kyle Evans Gay, Madinah Wilson-Anton, Marie Pinkney, Laura Sturgeon, Tizzy Lockman and the strong ambitious women who strive to lead Delaware for the right reasons.
I felt certain that Kathy Jennings belonged with them. Now? Doesn’t look like it, does it?
BHL’s piece reads like an endorsement from Jennings.
Anything other than a public rejection of an endorsement from Jennings is insufficient, unless, of course, it IS an endorsement. Which, as of now, it is.
“From the facts available, it is clear that she put a bunch of campaign expenses on her personal credit cards because her campaign ran out of money and her dumb ass husband didn’t think he had to put them on there because it was their money. The current issue was created when they refunded themselves some of that money because said dumb husband didn’t record the loans in the reports properly.”
And that fact alone disqualifies her from running a $5 billion budget. Sorry, but that’s the cold, hard truth.
SHE IS FUCKING UNQUALIFIED BY ANY STANDARD YOU CARE TO NAME.
It does seem like our Democracy is facing some challenges. While it’s true that she may not be the most suitable candidate for the office, I think we all agree that it’s likely she’ll secure the win. (I see no evidence that anyone else is even seriously running.)
It would be nice to have another viable political party at the statewide level. But I suppose it would also be nice for people in hell to get a drink of ice water.
Ah, lemme tell ya somethin’, kiddo, this whole thing smells like yesterday’s fish wrapped in today’s newspaper, if ya catch my drift. You’re tellin’ me there ain’t nobody else in the race? Pull the other one, it’s got bells on it.
Now, there’s this fella, sittin’ pretty with a couple million more in the kitty than the lady in question, runnin’ the show in the biggest county ’round here. The guy’s got a crew, knows how to spin a yarn about what he’s done and what’s on his to-do list. And her? You gotta wonder if she’s even laced up her sneakers for this race, what with nary a sign of a proper campaign hustle.
Let’s lay it out straight: both of ’em, this BHL and MM, they’re on the same page when it comes to folks knowing who they are, good, bad, and ugly. But here’s the rub: MM’s got a war chest to blitz the airwaves, and BHL’s piggy bank? It’s running on fumes. Don’t even start with “nobody watches the tube anymore” – that’s a load of baloney. If it held water, why’s everyone and their mother scrambling for campaign dough?
Even if BHL was clean as a whistle, she’d still be eatin’ MM’s dust, what with the cash gap. Throw in a few skeletons in her closet, and she’s not just behind, she’s outta the race. Might as well ask those Carney cronies licking their wounds from the last go-around about being outspent.
From here to September, every tale spun ’bout this tussle’s gonna drag her name through the mud. MM’s sitting on a pile so high, he can afford to play it both ways – toot his own horn and take her down a peg. She? Maybe she’ll scrape enough to keep the lights on and send a postcard or two.
No dough, no crew, no plan. Just a bunch of yes-men and headscratchers, and some are both. Folks are mistaking a big head for a big heart. Thinking there’s some ace up her sleeve when it’s more likely she’s just playing a losing hand.
She ain’t no leader. Just someone watchin’ her ship sail without her, caught up in her own mess, and it’s about time, too.
It’s all pretty simple. The spiel for BHL? She’s not crooked, just clueless. And they think folks will let it slide by September, just slap her name on the ballot and play it by ear from there.
But let’s be real, unless we’re playin’ in a world where the pieces stop moving, she’s in for a rough ride. MM’s quiet? That’s the sound of confidence. And Carney? Sittin’ on his hands, not botherin’ to pass the hat for her. Tells you all you need to know about where to place your bets.
What is this crap? Run through ChatGPT with instructions to make it sound as if written by Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain on a coke bender?
I can’t even read it. Write normal.
C’mon, effort shouldn’t be derided, even if it is by Chat GPT, which I doubt. Too creative for AI.
She sold her soul for a chintzy photo op.
If the AG is in the bag for this particular politician, then the term ‘justice’ is a misnomer.
I admired her for going after other public officials for their malfeasance, but this erases all of that good will, at least for me.
BHL’s piece reads like an endorsement from Kathy. If BHL is taking liberties, then nothing short of a strong statement from Jennings stressing that she has NOT endorsed will suffice.
To be fair, they seem to be at a Biden/Harris function, so I’m willing to give KJ the benefit of the doubt and just accept it as a picture at this point.
And WTFF happened to Val’s face? I guess we know what she’s doing with that extra $$ from being Speaker. Damn. Shocking.
EXCEPT–BHL’s post reads like she’s been endorsed by these other ‘strong, ambitious women leading in Delaware’.
We KNOW Val has not only endorsed her, but she’s peppered the House D Caucus staff with Bethany leeches, presumably because BHL really can’t afford to pay them.
If Kathy is not aligned with Bethany, it’s up to her to come forward and to call bullshit.
So, did KJ take out KMG for BHL? I feel sick. Please tell me “no.”
BHL already beat KMG in a primary once and would have beat her again. With all due respect to Beach Karen, whose comments are always insightful and informative, the theory that KMG needed to be taken out ranks very high on the malarkey scale.
There was a lot of banter than KJ was taking out KMG to plow the road for herself. Maybe that was just in Sussex, but it was pervasive.
No. I think (thought) she is (was) serious about going after public officials who commit misdeeds.
In fact, she went after one of BHL’s and Val’s besties when she indicted Rebecca Walker for submitting faked drug and alcohol tests that protected, who else, state cops.
Kathy lost that case because (I’m not making this up) the judge ruled that it was incompetence, not corruption, that led to the faked tests:
https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2022/04/21/former-delaware-nursing-director-not-guilty-falsifying-records-rebecca-walker/7397774001/
Walker’s punishment? She’s now the head of nursing at DHSS. Gee, d’ya suppose BHL had anything to do with that?
No, I do not suppose BHL had anything to do with that.
Except–she did.
Dear Kathy, Great picture in Bethany’s fund-raising email! You don’t look like you were forced or caught off guard in your smiling shot so it really looks like an endorsement. Silence is confirmation. Wanna tell us anything?
All these initials are driving me crazy. As a fairly distant observer, I sometimes have trouble telling one of these distaff politicians from another even when their whole names are used. I’m not even sure what “Val’s” face used to look like.
— n.a.
We DO employ a lot of initials, nicknames, and the like. Perhaps I should put together a glossary.
For now, though, BHL is Bethany Hall Long, LBR is Lisa Blunt Rochester, KMG is Kathy McGuiness, Our PAL Val is Valerie Longhurst, Nicole ‘No Longer’ Poore is Nicole ‘No Longer’ Poore, Monsignor Lavelle is Greg Lavelle, Tiny Tony is Tony DeLuca, Charles ‘Bouvier des Flanders’ Copeland is Charlie Copeland, Robocarper is Tom Carper…you get the idea.
Great, another statewide elected woman for you to add to your conspiracy theories! The sexism is rampant on this blog. You do know that if I woman doesn’t do exactly what you want them to do it does make them incompetent. Maybe a career prosecutor knows a bit more about the law than old men on a blog.
I’m with Karen on this one though, it’s just a picture from a public event.
The No. 1 “conspiracy theory” – a dismissive term for the cliques these people form – is Delaware’s copocracy. Very few women are involved.
You can wave away public corruption and ethical bankruptcy by claiming male sexism all you want.
Doesn’t change the fact that they have misused their offices for personal gain–just like the many men who we’ve cited over the years.
What “personal gain” are you referencing?
Oh, I’ve followed along and seen all the theories the writers and commenters have tossed around, and repeated, and then repeated as fact, and then cited as fact, and then cited as evidence of further corruption…
But never has there been a “there” there. You’ve all crafted your theories and passed them off as fact. Anything that doesn’t comport with that is evidence of corruption. DOE and the AG don’t file complaints or charges? They must be complicit in the corruption we’ve convinced ourselves exist.
You’ve been repeating unproven theories for so long, no one here can honestly remember what “proof” actually exists. Stuff looks messed up, but it’s just as likely something bordering on ineptness more than malfeasance.
But hey, I’ve been reading here long enough to know none of this will register with any of the regulars. El Som will fire off some attack and say I’m an apologist or part of the problem, Joe will warble some insult and Alby will throw out some profanity, and everyone will pat themselves on the back.
I’m more writing this to any new lurkers who treat what’s offered up here as some inside scoop: It’s not. It’s one corner of the internet’s unproven theories that they’ve been peddling for months now and will never retract or relent on, because they’ve gaslit themselves into believing it all to be true.
You have proven yourself to be the consummate troll.
Both BHL and her husband benefited from his using his County job to line his pockets–and to access voters’ contact info in BHL’s district while running for legislative office. So much so that even Tom Gordon transferred him before Matt Meyer called an end to his employment. Even Gordon said he couldn’t fire him b/c of his powerful spouse.
Both benefited by taking campaign contributions and using them as their personal piggy bank.
If neither of those qualify in your mind as a ‘there there’, all I can say is ‘there, there’, go and spread your propaganda somewhere else.
I see someone has earned his Concern Troll certificate.
Can’t find what you don’t look for, right? So you want proof, but you don’t think there should be an investigation?
And I wouldn’t want to disappoint you, so fuck off.
I’m baffled by the narrative that BHL supporters are pushing, “there’s nothing to see here.” No one who read Cris Barrish’s amazing reporting — https://whyy.org/articles/bethany-hall-long-husband-controversies-delaware-governor-campaign-2024/ — could think that everything is fine.
To summarize, so readers don’t think Bill DM’s spin is accurate…here are the things we know for sure:
(1) Something occurred to cause all of BHL’s campaign staff and about half+ of her kitchen cabinet to quit.
(2) She paused fundraising for her campaign, promising a “forensic audit” of her books.
(3) About a month after the pause, she amended all of her campaign finance reports going back 10 years. Each was edited with at least eight separate amendments PER REPORT. Intentionally or not, making it nearly impossible to track the changes.
(4) The audit was done by someone with no known experience in forensic accounting.
(5) BHL said the amendments were because she accidentally miscounted $300,000 of campaign expenditures. That’s more than one-third of ALL of her expenditures during the reporting periods. Her husband was her campaign treasurer.
(6) During the period of the hundreds of thousands of dollars of misfiled expenditures, her husband put a $141,000 downpayment on purchasing affordable housing units.
(7) BHL has repeatedly refused to release the audit report.
Everything beyond the above is conjecture. But….all of BHL’s apologists handwaving aside…this is all VERY concerning. And the AG should investigate it…BHL isn’t just a private citizen, she holds public trust, and is seeking an even greater level of public trust.
If the AG’s office looked at the bank accounts, looked at the audit report, and said publicly: “This all looks fine to us, it truly was just incompetence,” I would find that very persuasive and be able to let it go. (Though, I’d still think that level of incompetence would be disqualifying for a gubernatorial candidate).
But it doesn’t APPEAR that any investigation is happening. The AG would probably need to appoint a special counsel…which is what happened when there was a campaign finance investigation into then-Governor Jack Markell. And appointing a special counsel would be a public act.
Sure, we don’t know for certain what occurred. But there is a lot of smoke, and the burden should be on those in high elected office to PROVE there is no fire. Our campaign finance laws shouldn’t just be on the honor system. We should expect more.
I can probably only really comment on point #3. This is a function of the campaign finance system. If you make ANY change on an old filed report, the change modifies the starting/ending balances (maybe other stuff as well) on all subsequent filings. And EACH change initiates the process.
So if you need to change a debit from one source to another, I think it is two changes, each with the crazy cascading effect.
Nicely summarized! Sadly until I see contrary evidence or public act my educated guess is that the AG is not going to lift a finger.
I would love to be proven wrong.
Madame AG?
In fairness, neither the AG’s office nor the Department of Elections can comment on any investigations that might be ongoing.
I had sent the article about possible collusion between BHL’s campaign and the so-called independent PACs to DOE. They thanked me, but made clear that they would not be able to comment. This one:
https://delawareliberal.net/2024/01/24/the-little-pac-that-could/
Not feeling the need to distance one’s self from an “event” picture repurposed as a blatant implied endorsement is it’s own “comment”. Again I would love to be wrong✅
Why on earth would any public official come forward with an issue on their own ever again when the same people who cry for “transparency” and “ethics” in politics are the only ones left attacking with zero facts.
It doesn’t make sense, and you spell it out here. If there was any wrong doing you lawyer up and keep your mouth shut. Not send out a press release announcing you’re “correcting a mistake you made”.
1. Also, Who in her kitchen cabinet left? All I’ve seen about that is pure rumor. Anything I’ve seen related to all of this was from unnamed sources quoted by Cris Barrish who has the journalistic standards of a New York Post reporter.
2. She paid an accountant to audit her finances, the payment to said accountant was in her campaign finance reports.
3. As someone else stated, this is a product of how the state finance system posted amended reports. The changes are marked in the reports.
4. She hired a registered CPA to do it as stated above.
5. Reporters have stated she lent 300k to the campaign and is still owed 100k(which was marked as forgiven in her end of year report) of which most was not labeled as a loan originally. But the expenditures were in the old reports. Her expenditures were higher than the amount she received in donations, which would leave negative cash on hand. How can you steal money or refund yourself if there is none in the account? You can’t.
6. It is legal for anyone to buy a house. Once again, you can’t buy a house with campaign money that doesn’t exist. This I believe is a perfect example of the other poster pointing out that you’re just slandering without facts.
7. All of the corrections are in her campaign finance reports, I’ve looked, they are there.
There was some smoke earlier on when there was little info out there about what was happening but it has been publicly put to bed as an issue through correcting the reports. Hence no fire. But don’t let me interrupt the witch hunt.
From the facts available, it is clear that she put a bunch of campaign expenses on her personal credit cards because her campaign ran out of money and her dumb ass husband didn’t think he had to put them on there because it was their money. The current issue was created when they refunded themselves some of that money because said dumb husband didn’t record the loans in the reports properly.
The barrish article is just another sign of the demise of local journalism, unnamed sources, trying to draw connections with no proof, and a sensationalized headline. With a journalist with no credible campaign finance expertise writing about someone who came forward to flag their own campaign finances and covering it like a TMZ article.
If there was an investigation we wouldn’t know unless it winds up in an indictment. By your suggestions here, the DOJ should announce everyone they are or are not currently investigating no matter what? Which would open up DOJ to legal liability for slandering innocent peoples reputations for any alleged wrongdoing. You say people in high office need to prove there is not fire. Should Hillary Clinton have spent her whole campaign proving to people she doesn’t drink children’s blood and whatever wild accusations were said about her?
What about her emails…
What utter bullshit.
Cris Barrish is an outstanding reporter. When you can’t dismiss what he wrote, try to dismiss the person doing the writing.
The accountant she paid was basically a tax preparer and had no background in election law and/or accounting procedures. The audit HAS NEVER BEEN MADE PUBLIC although nothing is stopping BHL from doing so.
Nothing has been ‘put to bed’. Except perhaps in the minds of her remaining supporters.
Who said they bought a house with campaign money? Nobody that I’m aware of. We do know, however, that BHL’s husband went into the house-flipping business with her top assistant, using information that only he, as a contracted housing investigator, would have access to. Which is why NCC ultimately got rid of him.
Your entire premise depends on , to use your word, ‘slandering’ those who have uncovered a shitload of highly-questionable information on the behavior of this campaign.
Oh, why don’t we finish where you started? BHL pursued this ‘audit’ which wasn’t an audit ONLY AFTER VIRTUALLY HER ENTIRE TEAM ABANDONED HER.
She had no choice but to try to put lipstick on those campaign finance report porkers.
Yo, check it out, lying ain’t no joke, right? It’s like tryna juggle with too many balls in the air. That’s why BHL’s in a real jam. She’s been playin’ fast and loose with the truth, thinkin’ folks ain’t gonna chat and piece it all together. It’s like she’s runnin’ her own circus but forgettin’ the acts.
And yo, it’s classic for her crew to be pointin’ fingers everywhere but at her. Like, seriously? This lady’s been droppin’ the ball left and right, and yet somehow, it’s Chris Barrish and her own man catchin’ heat in your story.
Now, imagine bein’ so caught up in yourself that you’d throw your own fam under the bus just to be the big boss of Delaware. And for what? When you ain’t even got a clue what you’d do once you’re in the chair.
Your whole campaign’s a bust. Can’t remember what you said yesterday, can’t stick to your own script. Don’t know the first thing about the real issues, and ain’t got the dough or the game plan to make a difference. Couldn’t manage a small team, let alone her own house. And she’s gonna run the state?
Nah, man. We’re talkin’ either a straight-up con artist or a total rookie here, and I ain’t down for either. Time to kick rocks
Not to mention, her ‘dumb-ass’ husband was her treasurer from the beginning of her political career until–last February.
Their campaign finances were so fucked up that they hired a legit campaign compliance expert from Rhode Island, who quit in August because BHL wouldn’t share the bank deposit info with her.
Anything I’ve seen related to all of this was from unnamed sources quoted by Cris Barrish who has the journalistic standards of a New York Post reporter.
And this is where I join the “bullshit” call.
Barrish has more integrity in one hair on the outside of his asshole than BHL and her smarmy husband have combined.
Who was it who said, “If you’ve been elected a couple of times and you aren’t rich, you are doing it wrong”?
Was that Longhurst?
You guys should make a media request to Mat Marshall and see what they have to say.
El Som – I understand why you use initials. I just saw an opening for a wisecrack.
I’m all for the nicknames, especially “Lumpy.” I laugh every time I see it.
I didn’t even make that one up.
Former Suxco Senator and President Pro-Tem Thurman Adams called him ‘Ol’ Lump’.
Collin O’Mara’s campaign slogan : Zzzzzzzz because he’s asleep at the wheel of his own campaign. Maybe he should get out of bed and actually do something
What is he waiting for at this point? Seven months is a long time in politics, but it’s not so long that you can go from almost total unknown to nominee unless you are someone who can bankroll your campaign with millions. I’m sure he’s already maxxed out his ability to personally give to his campaign.
I think he’s a pawn to help BHL win against Meyer and split the vote. A Carney-BHL prop. Say what you want, but Meyer is at least running like he wants the job and frankly he’s the only candidate that is even remotely progressive. I can overlook his affiliation with Alan Levin, a Republican power broker, because BHL is corrupt and O’marra is trying to buy the election so he and his wife can live out whatever fantasy that evaporated when she tanked her own campaign in Maryland. Oh, and don’t forget, she voted in both Maryland and DC. Ladder climbers who only want the trappings of the office, but if they can’t get them, they’ll settle for the corrupt status quo. And don’t forget O’mara used to be a Republican. Can we trust him? NOPE.
It also says a lot that Markell didn’t bother to wait for his prodigal son to return to Delaware and run to begin supporting a candidate.
Not really. Jack has gone from being Ambassador to France to being Ambassador to Italy.
Might be the two best jobs in the Biden Administration.
Especially since a chef comes as part of the deal.
No, I agree. I’m saying he didnt wait to start supporting a candidate, i.e. Meyer.
I have now been able to confirm, through an impeccable source–that:
KATHLEEN JENNINGS HAS NOT ENDORSED BETHANY HALL-LONG.
It’s just yet another (IMO) attempt by an unethical campaign to create the impression that BHL has an endorsement she doesn’t have.
Maybe not but until and unless she disavows the implication in the mailing BHL wins the Perception battle which is what her goal clearly was.
Next up: we’ve got to confirm that Kamala Harris has not endorsed BHL.
“why’s everyone and their mother scrambling for campaign dough?”
Because that’s how they keep score. And not just the candidates, the consultants too. It’s an industry.
Every campaign produces video advertising. The question is where to run it beyond your own web site. I think in a primary election most candidates are more interested in targeting likely voters than the general public, and online is a better way to do it.
There’s no data either way, whether it’s causation or correlation, so we’ll just have to disagree. If all you’re looking for is correlation, then it’s just as accurate to say that the candidate with more money will win. And that doesn’t always work either. Mike Castle had more money and more paid TV advertising than Christine O’Donnell.
————————-
I wouldn’t presume to predict the race this early, but some things to consider:
State employees and retirees will turn out in very high numbers, and the fate of the Medicare Advantage plan will factor heavily in their choice. Advantage Meyer, AFAIK.
City voters will choose a new mayor, so turnout there will be high. I think BHL will get all the machine endorsements, so advantage BHL.
Building trade unions deliver relatively few votes, but advantage BHL. Teachers vote, but I don’t know where either stands on education issues, so unknown.
We don’t know how Meyer will frame Hall-Long’s campaign account mismanagement. Even if he frames her as shady, how effective will it be in driving people to the polls? Unknown.
Hall-Long has a firm base of people who will turn out for her, more so than Meyer. If I were advising him I’d tell him to make a campaign issue of the Medicare Advantage plan.
“City voters will choose a new mayor, so turnout there will be high. I think BHL will get all the machine endorsements, so advantage BHL.”
I can not envision a situation where BHL gets more votes in the City of Wilmington than Meyer. Turnout will be high in Wilmington, and I’d be shocked if Matt does not win in Wilmington 55 to 45.
BHL chaired a task force created by the legislature to address the Medicare Advantage debacle. Said task force came up with recommendations that pleased the RISE movement (state retirees opposed to MA). Many showed up at a public joint health committee hearing on Presidents Day singing BHL’s praises for leading the task force and giving retirees a voice. After listening in to that session, hard to believe MA hurts her when she played a visible role in bringing about satisfactory recommendations about retiree health benefits, esp if those recommendations lead to successful legislation safeguarding the current Medicare plan retirees want to keep.
This is not an endorsement of her candidacy; just an expression of doubt that MA is negative for her. There’s still plenty of other negatives.
Thanks for the update. This task-force-leading ability is her major selling point. That’s popular in Delaware, where people like to pretend we all get along with each other.
Here’s the list of recommendations that came out of the subcommittee. If she’s going to endorse those recommendations and push for them as governor, she’s a long way toward winning a crucial segment of the vote. So I don’t think she’s as easily defeated as many seem to think.
Pretty sure she endorsed all of them during that presentation and voted in favor of all of them in the meetings (unlike some of the cabinet). Just listened to the livestream feed from that health meeting and she said pretty clearly she agrees with the retirees and subcommittee that she doesn’t want MA for retirees. (It’s around the 2:20pm mark.)
Also, I did a cursory search on NCCo’s website for Medicare Advantage and guess what? There’s a bunch of stuff there with the county pushing MA on its retirees. Maybe a county retiree will comment on that here.
I’ll leave it you to search that and make your own interpretations, but if you’re talking solely about Medicare Advantage, one candidate is loudly and publicly stating their opposition (and running afoul of their own administration in the process) and is trying to block MA, and the other runs a government that is actively selling MA to its retirees.
I call bullshit. Again. Meyer publicly stated his opposition to sticking retirees with MA at a public meeting he held here in my community.
BHL refused to answer questions about MA when she appeared before our RD Democratic Committee despite being asked and re-asked about it.
You have one more chance.
Use it wisely.
How is it BS to point to a public meeting and minutes, and to reveal the results of a Google search proving that Meyer’s county actively offers MA to its retirees?
I’m looking at an October 2023 letter to retirees about 2024 MA enrollment right now. He might have “publicly stated his opposition,” but his county government is pushing MA on its retirees RIGHT NOW. That’s a simple fact. He can oppose it all he wants, but his county offers it, and he probably should square that. Again, a county retiree should come on here to comment.
I’ve never questioned what you say she said in your RD meeting. I do know how she’s voted (the votes are publicly available) and what she said in that hearing this week. People can listen to you, listen to her, and make up their own minds about it.
And I’m sorry, but if presenting that information in as calm and rational a manner as that is a ban-worthy offense, then apparently no one will ever be able to have a grown-up, factual conversation, because they’ll be silenced.
Good points.
My worry about Meyer is the Republican Lite support system, which is usually just as focused on balanced books as the Carney cordon. But if they’re both foreswearing MA, so much the better.
Going against a lame-duck administration when she’s not in a position to do anything but make recommendations isn’t the profile in courage you might think. It’s understood by all concerned that she’s running for her next gig, so she gets a pass.
I’d encourage you to listen to the REV’s interview with him.
I’m a lot less concerned now…