Duffy's push for son-in-law's House campaign sparks backlash
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Photo: Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is going all-out to get his 26-year-old son-in-law elected to a Wisconsin House seat, infuriating Republicans in the district who say he's abusing his office and access to President Trump.
Driving the news: The campaign of first-time candidate Michael Alfonso has Duffy's fingerprints all over it — from Trump's endorsement of him at Duffy's urging, to tens of thousands of dollars in campaign money from transportation interests that the secretary holds sway over.
What they're saying: Duffy "is exploiting his Cabinet position and fame to influence an election and hand one of the nation's highest offices to his unqualified, 26-year-old son-in-law," Meg Ellefson, a Wisconsin-based podcaster and former drive-time radio show host, told Axios.
- Ellefson said she was an enthusiastic backer of Duffy's early in his political career, but that she's "utterly disgusted by this blatant manipulation of voters" and is supporting one of Alfonso's primary rivals.
Duffy spokesperson Nathaniel Sizemore pushed back on the idea that Duffy has been using his position to benefit his son-in-law, saying that he "uses the power of DOT to execute on the president's ambitious transportation agenda. That's it."
- Sizemore said Duffy supports Alfonso in his "personal capacity."
- Like other Cabinet members, Duffy is subject to the Hatch Act, which generally bars executive branch officials from using their official authority to influence elections. It does allow political activity undertaken in a personal capacity.
- Sizemore said that before Duffy attends a campaign event, DOT ethics officials "screen these events, review the hosts, advise on attendees, and provide recommendations" that Duffy follows.
Zoom in: During the past eight months, Duffy has made several moves on Alfonso's behalf that have angered or annoyed many Wisconsin Republicans.
- Duffy juiced Alfonso's campaign last October by transferring $1 million in remaining funds from Duffy's congressional campaign account to Alfonso's super PAC.
- The next month, Duffy attended Alfonso's first campaign event. He was later at Alfonso fundraisers in Naples, Fla., and Wausau, Wis.
- Several members of Duffy's former political team are working for Alfonso.
Alfonso also appears in "Great American Road Trip," the reality show documenting Duffy and his family's travels throughout the U.S. over seven months.
- In a trailer for the show, Alfonso and the family are shown walking into the Oval Office to meet Trump.
Duffy's biggest impact has been successfully lobbying Trump to endorse Alfonso.
- Duffy and his wife, Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy, rankled senior White House officials by not giving them a heads-up before making the ask.
- Trump endorsed Alfonso — a former producer for conservative podcaster Dan Bongino — in January, calling him a "MAGA warrior" and "a young STAR."
Zoom out: Alfonso is one of five Republicans seeking the party's nomination in Wisconsin's Aug. 11 primary. The House seat is being vacated by GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany, who's running for governor.
- Alfonso's rivals allege that transportation industry donors are contributing to his campaign in hopes of currying favor with Duffy ahead of the competitive Aug. 11 primary.
- He's raised more than $50,000 from transportation-associated PACs.
- Delta Airlines hosted a December fundraiser for Alfonso.
Friction point: Wisconsin Republicans say Duffy's involvement has frozen support for rival candidates, as donors and party leaders are reluctant to cross the Cabinet secretary.
- They say that dynamic was on display in March, when Duffy attended the 7th Congressional District GOP caucus meeting at an American Legion post in Neillsville, a town of 2,500 people.
- Local party officials planned to endorse a candidate in the primary, and had been expected to back one of Alfonso's rivals. But the caucus ultimately declined to endorse anyone — a decision some tied to Duffy's appearance.
Wisconsin Republicans also complain that Alfonso hasn't attended debates — evidence, they say, that he's coasting on support assembled by his father-in-law.
- Activists "believe Alfonso's resume is too thin to qualify him for Congress, and yet there is disrespect being shown to the grassroots, which taken together amounts to a sense of entitlement," said Jessica McBride, a contributor to Wisconsin Right Now, a conservative news site.
The other side: Alfonso's campaign said in a statement he has "earned support from conservative leaders, including a majority of Wisconsin's congressional delegation and from grassroots supporters across the district and country."
