The California Republican Party announced on Saturday that it has allocated $ 125,000 to the campaign seeking the removal of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The injection of funds comes at a crucial time for organizers, who must gather 1.5 million valid signatures by mid-March in order for the proposal to be put to a vote.
The funds will be destined directly to the hiring of personnel for the collection of signatures. So far, that task has been designated mostly to volunteers, along with mass mailing sent to homes in different parts of the state.
The money was donated to Rescue California, one of several political committees trying to remove Newsom. The governor’s political advisers view the proposal as a flawed effort by supporters of former President Donald Trump and other Republicans.
The Republican Party issued the check a few days after the Republican National Committee awarded $ 250,000 to the party’s faction in status to aid in the impeachment campaign.
Organizers say they have collected more than 1.5 million signatures to date, although it is unclear how many of them will be overturned due to technicalities or other errors. The committees behind the campaign hope to gather many more than the 1.5 million signatures needed to ensure it qualifies.
“We hope to gather another 400,000 signatures,” Rescue California campaign manager Anne Dunsmore said in a statement. With the six-figure donation, “we added a significant budget line to our funds.”
The contribution “will ensure that we obtain sufficient additional signatures to hold Gavin Newsom accountable,” he added.
Dan Newman, Newsom’s chief strategy officer, said the check confirms the economic partnership between the impeachment campaign and state and national Republicans.
“The facade has fallen. It has never been more evident – they are admitting that the Republican impeachment plan is simply partisan politics, ”Newman said in a statement. “Republicans have lost every state election in the last 15 years, so they are trying increasingly desperate, distracting and destructive measures.”
Polls reveal Newsom’s popularity has been declining as state residents oppose a lengthy enforcement of coronavirus rules that has caused schools and businesses to close.
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