The campaign manager for GOP congressional candidate Michael Halfacre is questioning why primary rival Scott Sipprelle contributed to five Democratic congressional candidates last June.
Tom Fitzsimmons says that Sipprelle, a millionaire venture capitalist who is promising to self-fund his bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell), contributed to U.S. Reps. Allen Boyd (D-FL), Barron Hill (D-IN), Charles Melancon (D-LA), Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), and Heath Shuler (D-NC).
But according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Sipprelle has contributed about $100,000 to federal campaigns in recent years, with 95% of those funds going to Republicans.
“Last June was the height of the battle for Congressional Republicans,” said Fitzsimmons. “The Democrats had rammed through the stimulus, cap and trade was being debated, government-run health care was on the table- and in the middle of all that, Scott Sipprelle made donations to not one, not two, but five separate Democrats.”
Fitzsimons said that Sipprelle gave more money to congressional Democrats than he did to the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Christopher Christie.
“I think that speaks volumes about what kind of ‘Republican’ Scott Sipprelle really is,” Fitzsimmons said. “Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts on Tuesday showed once again that voters want someone with the courage of their convictions to go to Washington and oppose the Pelosi/Reid/Obama agenda. Mike Halfacre will go to Washington and oppose that agenda at every turn; Scott Sipprelle was supporting it just seven months ago.”
Halfacre is the mayor of Fair Haven.
“Scott Sipprelle is running for Congress to reform a dysfunctional political process and to repair the financial fabric of America. Mike Halfacre’s desperate, negative attack violates Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment of not speaking ill of another Republican and clearly shows a campaign in distress,” said Sipprelle strategist Chris Russell. “The fact is that Scott has a long history of generously supporting Republicans all across the country and has been proud to do so.”
