FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Councilmember Elissa Silverman Formally Reprimanded for Unethical Misuse of Taxpayer Funds
Washington, DC – (October 27, 2022)
The DC Republican Party issued the following statement upon the conclusion of the DC Office of Campaign Finance’s (OCF) investigation into Councilmember Elissa Silverman’s misuse of taxpayer funds to conduct an illegal political poll. OCF ordered Silverman to pay back the more than $6,000 she spent on her poll. The poll was a successful effort by Silverman to influence the outcome of the 2022 Ward 3 Council Democratic Primary.
Patrick Mara, Chairman of the DC GOP, stated, “Councilmember Silverman sought to manipulate the Ward 3 Democratic Primary race with her taxpayer-funded political poll. It was her successful effort to clear the very liberal wing of the Democratic field to help elect her like-minded friend Mathew Frumin.” He continued, “Matthew Frumin is now the Democratic nominee and Councilmember Silverman unethically – if not illegally – used taxpayer funds to support the progressive effort.”
Mara concluded, “Unfortunately, these findings are too little, and possibly too late. Many voters who already cast votes will be unable to use the OCF decision as part of their voting calculus. The light slap on the wrist by OCF is another example of the DC government’s unwillingness to police its own unethical behavior. Whether it’s increasing violent crime, decreasing student performance, decreasing residential population or ethical lapses like those of Councilmember Silverman, I fear we may be going back to the 90s.”
For further information, please contact Nicole M. McClure, Executive Director of the DC Republican Committee, at nicole@dcgop.com
The DC Republican Committee is composed of registered Republicans living throughout the District of Columbia in all eight wards nominated and elected to serve as members.
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