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ICYMI: AZ GOP Strategist: “[Schweikert] is going to have to really defend his seat”

Schweikert doubles down on claim that he did “nothing wrong” after House Ethics Committee finds “substantial reason” to believe he did

Last week, a damaging report released by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee found “substantial reason” to believe that Congressman David Schweikert violated ethics rules through his handling of taxpayer dollars and improper campaign contributions. Pressed repeatedly by News12’s Brahm Resnik on the report’s findings and the more than $500,000 he spent last quarter on legal fees, Schweikert continued to double down on the claim that he did nothing wrong.

Meanwhile, even local Republicans are acknowledging Schweikert’s vulnerability. As Arizona GOP strategist Lorna Romero told Resnik on Sunday, “this is probably gonna put Congressman Schweikert in a position where he has to run a real campaign… regardless of what the outcome is, he is going to have to really defend his seat.” At the same time, Romero continued, changing demographics in the Phoenix-area suburbs will make this district even tougher for the embattled Congressman to hang onto.


Click here to watch.

CFrom News12’s Sunday Square Off:

BRAHM RESNIK: Have you done anything wrong?

DAVID SCHWEIKERT: No.

RESNIK: Nothing at all?

SCHWEIKERT: We may have some technical violations – I believe clerical – but I believe we’ve done, other than bookkeeping and mechanical, I think we are in good shape.

[…]

RESNIK: That was Republican Congressman David Schleicher of Fountain Hills, after I asked him last week why he has had to spend more than half $1 million to defend himself in a year-long House Ethics Committee investigation. The committee says there is “substantial reason to believe he misused cash from his congressional office for campaign purposes. Can Schweikert survive this scandal? That’s one of the top political questions of the week. Joining us to answer them in the Left/Right debate is Lorna Romero, Executive Director of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Chamber Business News. She’s also a former spokeswoman for Senator John McCain and policy advisor to Governor Jan Brewer.

[…]

RESNIK: It is odd that for clerical errors, alleged misuse of office funds, you’re going through all of these emails. Lorena, if this stays alive into 2020, how big a drag would it be on his campaign?

LORNA ROMERO: Do I think it’s helpful? No. Do I think is going to be the single issue that could take David Schweikert down in his district? I don’t think so. I think the larger issue here is this is probably gonna put Congressman Schweikert in a position where he has to run a real campaign. He has been fortunate enough the past few election cycles where he really hasn’t had a challenger, whether it’s a primary challenge or someone in general, where he has to significantly fundraise and build a strategic campaign. So I think with this, regardless of what the outcome is, he is going to have to really defend his seat. But I don’t think this will be the single issue that takes him down. There are some changing demographics in the suburbs of the Phoenix area that I think are probably more concerning than this issue in itself.

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