Senate Leader Tim Ashe has criticized Molly Gray, one of his three opponents in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, for allegedly funding her campaign with contributions from the “political and donor elites.”
In a July 24 fundraising pitch, Ashe called out “one of” his opponents for taking money from people who are also supporting Meg Hansen, a candidate for lieutenant governor in the Republican primary, as well as one of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ challengers.
Ashe did not refer to Gray by name in the video in which he acknowledged he is likely to be outspent because he could not fundraise during the legislative session that extended into late June as lawmakers responded to the Covid-19 crisis.
“Other candidates were dialing for dollars from Vermont’s political and donor elite,” Ashe said.
He continued: “One of my opponents has actually received contributions from some of the big money donors who have also given to make Meg Hansen, the ultra conservative GOP candidate for — you guessed it — lieutenant governor.”
“One of my opponents has also received donations from Bernie Sanders’ congressional opponent,” he added.
In response to Ashe’s claim, Gray said in a statement that she has received support for her candidacy from people in various walks of life.
“I am humbled and inspired by the broad and diverse support our campaign has received from Vermonters from across the state, many of whom are engaging in a primary for the very first time,” Gray said.
In response to a request from VTDigger, Ashe pointed to campaign finance filings that show that two contributors have given to both Gray and Hansen. Ashe also noted that Peter Smith, a Republican who lost to Sanders in the 1990 congressional race, has given Gray $600.
David Coates, former managing partner of the multinational KPMG’s Burlington office, has given Gray $1,500, while contributing $250 to Hansen. Wealthy businessman Bruce Lisman, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate, has to date contributed $600 to Gray and $1,250 to Hansen. Over the years, Lisman poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into state politics through his nonprofit advocacy group, Campaign for Vermont.
“Those are not ever going to be the places where I find my support in my candidacies, it is always going to be from everyday people,” Ashe said in his campaign video.
Samantha Sheehan, Gray’s campaign manager, added in a statement of her own that she was “surprised” by Ashe’s “newest line of attack,” alleging that the Senate leader has accepted large out-of-state donations himself.
“He has accepted significant contributions from out-of-state Republican donors. Furthermore, he has had more than 10 years to earn support and endorsement for his candidacy from Vermonters,” Sheehan said.
Ashe has received financial backing from Mark and Amanda Harmeling, who currently reside in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
The Harmelings have given Ashe the maximum contribution of $4,160 as has Taylor Harmeling of Charlotte, the founder of Burlington-based investment firm General Management Holdings, who has contributed to Ashe’s campaigns over the years.
Mark and Amanda Harmeling, who head a philanthropic nonprofit, supported Republican Sen. Mitt Romney’s 2012 challenge to incumbent President Barack Obama with a combined $5,000 contribution. They also gave to former President George W. Bush.
In 2015, Taylor Harmeling donated $2,700 to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for his presidential campaign, and has made other contributions to Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., according to federal campaign finance data.
In response to the Gray campaign, Ashe did not deny the charge and doubled down on what he had said in his campaign video.
“I have not been receiving contributions from Meg Hansen donors or any of Bernie’s former opponents,” Ashe said in a statement.
With Ashe’s 12 years in the Vermont Senate, including the last four as pro tem, it would be expected that he would be running with support as the political insider. Instead, a number of Vermont politicos have coalesced around Gray.
Since she launched her campaign in January, Gray has racked up a number of high profile endorsements and brought in a total of $191,000. The newest fundraising numbers will be made public on Aug. 1 for contributions made since the end of June.
To date, Gray has received contributions from more than 650 individual Vermont donors and more than 1,000 contributions in total.
As a former staffer for Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., in his Washington D.C., office, Gray has also garnered financial support from a number of current and former employees of the Vermont congressional delegation.
The list includes Tim Rieser, Ed Pagano, Luke Albee, Maggie Gendron and Theresa Alberghini DiPalma, all of whom have ties to Leahy’s Senate office.
Jane and Bill Stetson, longtime contributors and fundraisers for Democratic candidates, both gave Gray $2,000; former Gov. Peter Shumlin has donated $4,000; Sugarbush Resort president Win Smith has given $1,000; and William Shearer, president of Shearer Automotive in South Burlington, has given $1,000.
Also among the ranks of her supporters is David Blittersdorf, a renewable energy entrepreneur and engineer and longtime Sanders supporter, who has already given the maximum contribution allowed under Vermont’s campaign finance law to the Gray campaign. Longtime Vermont lobbyist Bob Stannard has given $500 to Gray’s lieutenant governor bid.
Gray has also received endorsements from former Govs. Madeleine Kunin and Shumlin, along with former Lt. Gov. Doug Racine, Matt Dunne — who ran for governor in 2016 — and former legislator and health commissioner Harry Chen, among others.
She has also garnered support from big money donors to Democrats from outside Vermont.
Geoffrey Gund, who was the board president of the George Gund Foundation until he stepped down in late 2019, has poured $4,160 into Gray’s campaign. This year Gund has put hundreds of thousands of dollars toward Democratic candidates and super PACs.
Gund has given $600,000 to PACRONYM — a super PAC affiliated with Acronym, a politically active nonprofit — that was formed to oppose Republican candidates and President Donald Trump’s reelection through digital advertising campaigns. He has also given $35,000 to the Democratic National Committee, according to federal campaign finance numbers.
Sarah Gund, Geoffrey Gund’s wife, has also given the maximum donation to Gray.
Ashe, meanwhile, has trailed Gray in fundraising by a wide margin. He has brought in less than half of what his opponent has raised — $50,000 in the second quarter from 213 contributors, and roughly $80,000 since the beginning of the year.
His list of high profile contributors is far less extensive than Gray’s — with more than a 25% of his money coming from contributions of less than $100. Small money donations currently make up just over 17% of Gray’s total fundraising haul.
Ashe’s donors include Sanders’ former state director Phil Fiermonte; Burlington entrepreneur Alan Newman; real estate developer Eric Farrell; state Sens. Jane Kitchel, D-Caledonia, Dick Mazza, D-Grand Isle, Bobby Starr, D-Essex-Orleans, and Andrew Perchlick, D/P-Washington; as well as state Rep. Janet Ancel, D-Calais; and Peter Griffin, who has served as a legislative counsel and is running for a Vermont House seat in 2020.
