Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long reviewing campaign finance reports amid possible 'issues'
Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, who is running for Delaware governor in 2024, announced Thursday evening that she is conducting an audit of her past campaign finance reports after possible issues have come to light.
About two weeks after launching her campaign, Hall-Long said in a written statement this audit came after she “requested a review of my past campaign finance reports and learned there may have been reporting issues that require attention."
Hall-Long has not suspended her campaign.
She said she is working with “independent campaign finance experts and forensic accountants to thoroughly audit the finances.” She said she released a statement after “friends and constituents have asked about the status of my campaign."
Hall-Long did not, in her statement, say what years are under review. She has been in Delaware politics for decades, most recently serving as lieutenant governor since 2016.
“We look forward to the results of the audit and amending any reports as needed,” Hall-Long said. “I have always been strongly committed to public integrity and transparency, and will continue to uphold those values throughout this campaign.”
Who runs her campaign finances?
Hall-Long’s husband, Dana Long, previously served as her campaign treasurer for her current fundraising committee, according to Delaware’s Campaign Finance Reporting System.
He is listed as serving in this role from Jan. 25, 2021, to May 2, 2023, according to the website.
Dana Long has in the past created major headaches for his wife's various campaigns. In 2014, when she was a state senator, Hall-Long admitted that her husband stole Republican political signs, which were along a road in Middletown. This came to light after a video showed him carrying signs to his car.
He was also accused of "abuse of power" when he served as a housing inspector for New Castle County. Hall-Long defended her husband against these claims. He does not work on her gubernatorial election campaign, a campaign official said Thursday.
Allison Murray, of Rhode Island, has been in the treasurer role since May 2. She is a partner of CFO Compliance, a firm that works with Democratic candidates and specializes in “state and local candidate compliance”
BACKGROUND Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long announces 2024 run for governor. To face Matt Meyer in primary
Canceled campaign events
The candidate has canceled two fundraisers in recent weeks, according to emails obtained by Delaware Online/The News Journal. One of these was supposed to be hosted this month by Gov. John Carney, who quickly endorsed her when she announced her candidacy.
The campaign, in a statement to Delaware Online/The News Journal, said scheduled fundraisers "have been pulled down, and she is not currently soliciting donations pending the audit."
Hall-Long "is committed to leading with transparency and integrity, which is why she requested an audit of her campaign finance reports," the campaign said.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Bethany Hall-Long's campaign finance reports undergoing review
