Brown
SACRAMENTO (Legal Newsline) - California gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown is responding to opponent Meg Whitman's recent $13 million contribution to her campaign in her bid to become the state's next governor.
In an e-mail to supporters Monday, Brown's campaign said, "Meg Whitman continues to pour unprecedented millions into a campaign of unprecedented dishonesty. Her ads are proved false, her trickle-down tax breaks for the super rich are a proven failure, and her Friday night disclosure is all about keeping voters in the dark."
The former eBay CEO and billionaire's donation was filed Friday with the California secretary of state's office. It brings the GOP nominee's personal stake to $104 million.
Whitman, according to recent poll results, is in a dead heat with Brown -- this, despite the fact she has outspent Brown since she won the primary in June.
But state Attorney General Brown's campaign contends winning the governor's office "isn't as easy as a bid on eBay or throwing millions into dishonest attack ads."
"Californians, not her bankroll, have the final say on what it's going to take to get California working again," said Steven Glazer, Brown campaign manager, in the e-mail to supporters.
Glazer goes on to tell supporters Brown's campaign hasn't "even started" their advertising campaign and that despite Whitman's "unprecedented" spending, she can't muster a lead in the polls.
Brown has said his "shoestring campaign" is a necessity during the summer, and he is marshaling his resources for the fall.
But his campaign has been the beneficiary of independent expenditures from unions, which the Whitman campaign told the Los Angeles Times is what prompted her to write another large check.
According to the latest Rasmussen Reports survey, Brown is slightly ahead in the race for governor.
Earlier this month, a telephone survey of likely voters in the state found Brown with 43 percent support and Whitman with 41 percent of the vote. Six percent prefer another candidate and 10 percent remain undecided.
Both candidates, according to the poll results, have seen a drop in support over the past month. In July, Whitman was at 47 percent and Brown at 46.
"Whitman offers a hyped up marketing creation backed by her millions in Wall Street money and corporate bonuses. She must believe we're simply customers -- consumers of stale rhetoric and misleading ads -- who she can win over with bid after bid. She's wrong, and it's not working," Glazer tells supporters.
From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by e-mail at jessica@legalnewsline.com.