The head of the Pima County Democratic Party has filed a complaint against Rep. Martha McSally. The complaint says the Arizona congresswoman failed to disclose money spent on a recent poll.
The internal poll said McSally was tied with fellow Republican Kelli Ward in a hypothetical race to replace retiring Sen. Jeff Flake.
Pima County Democratic Party Chairwoman Jo Holt said the Federal Election Commission requires candidates to disclose expenses that reach $5,000, which the poll likely did.
“So, basically, they’re stretching the rules,” Holt said. “And we’re asking the FEC to call them on that.”
She said that while McSally hasn’t formally announced her Senate run, McSally has reportedly told congressional colleagues she is running.
As Northern Arizona University Professor Fred Solop puts it, McSally is in a “grey area.”
“But I do think that we as a public deserve transparency, and if she is a candidate, we need to know that,” Solop said. “She needs to make that clear. And we as the public need to be able to evaluate from that vantage point.”
According to the Arizona Daily Star, McSally’s campaign has dismissed the complaint as frivolous and politically motivated.