Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
One U.S. Senate hopeful is hitting back over David Jolly’s appearance on 60 Minutes.
Todd Wilcox, a Republican running for Senate, sent an email to supporters Sunday calling Jolly out for his decision to sponsor the Stop Act, saying it was “his most spectacular hypocrisy yet.”
“The STOP Act is an election year gimmick Congressman Jolly trotted out in a campaign video promising a bill to force members to spend more time working and less time raising money for their campaigns,” the Wilcox campaign said in an email to supporters.
The email continues: “After actively benefiting from the not so secret world of DC dialing-for-dollars on the tax payers dime, Congressman David Jolly isn’t fooling anyone. So when he tilts his head, squints ever so slightly, looks into the camera and says ‘the America people deserve better,’ know that it’s the only piece of nonfiction in his act.”
During a 13-minute segment on 60 Minutes on Sunday, Jolly spoke to CBS correspondent Norah O’Donnell about the amount of time lawmakers spend raising money. In January, the Pinellas County Republican announced he filed legislation — dubbed the Stop Act — that would prohibit lawmakers from personally soliciting donations.
In the email Sunday, the Wilcox campaign said Jolly “is a Washington staffer turned K Street lobbyist turned US Congressman who now wants a promotion to the Senate.”
“Over the last two decades, he raised big money for his boss, convinced clients to give big, gladly accepted millions for his first and second campaign AND just last year creatively transferred hundreds of thousands of that money to his current campaign,” the email to Wilcox supporters said. “His is a cautionary tale of how much time and resources are spent chasing the almighty dollar when someone goes to Washington and just won’t leave.”
Wilcox and Jolly are two of five Republicans running for U.S. Senate. The two men will face Rep. Ron DeSantis, Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Carlos Beruff in the Aug. 30 primary.
