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U.S. Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) yesterday sent a last-ditch plea to financial supporters in the hopes of reaching his fundraising goal by today's Federal Election Commission reporting deadline.
"Your support will tell the press and political pundits that I am a strong, resilient Democrat," the troubled congressman told potential donors in his March 30 email (excerpted below).
Wu's camp won't say what the seven-term lawmaker's fundraising goal is for the period that closes today, the first deadline of the 2012 election cycle. Sources have told WW a strong showing would put Wu in the $200,000 to $300,000 range on this fund-raising report. In previous election cycles, Wu has had that much cash on hand by April 1 of the year before the election.
In 2009, in the lead-up to his successful 2010 re-election, Wu raised $75,000 in his first quarter but had $300,000 in cash, FEC documents show.
In the prior election cycle, in 2007, Wu raised close to $100,000 in the first quarter, but had more than $500,000 in cash, according to FEC files.
Wu started this election cycle $60,000 in debt, making his goal (whatever it is) that much harder to reach. Wu also lost his campaign treasurer this year (along with several other staffers) before naming a temporary treasurer on Feb. 23, five days after WW first published a photo of Wu in a tiger costume that has come to symbolize the controversy swirling around Wu.
WWeek 2015