Washington Politician Gwen Graham Avoids Answering The Tough Questions, Misleads Florida Voters

After failing to respond to multiple Freedom of Information Act requests for her congressional records, Washington Politician Gwen Graham is now further avoiding answering the tough questions on transparency, in a direct attempt to mislead Florida voters about her official congressional communications.

In her response to FloridaPolitics, Graham failed to state if she would release her congressional records, and then instead spun questions to her resignation from a company’s board, which was not called into question. What was called into question was if she or anyone from her office had any communications with these companies or with her colleagues about these companies – but she avoided answering that question. Why is Graham desperate to change the subject?

“ As the RGA probably already knows, I voluntarily resigned from the company’s board when I was elected to Congress, and I have no                       involvement with this project,” she said in a statement. “We are 23 months away from the Governor’s election in Florida, and there will be plenty of time for the RGA to engage in this petty nonsense and partisan attacks. For the rest of 2016, I’m focused on finishing the job I was elected to do and then enjoying the holiday season with my family. I recommend the folks at the RGA do the same.” (Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster, “Email Insights: Republican Governors Association Takes Aim At Gwen Graham,” FloridaPolitics.com, 12/8/2016)

In another attempt to avoid answering any questions on transparency, Graham encouraged the RGA to take the holidays off. Graham is shutting down her congressional office in a matter of weeks, and by doing so, she will be able to claim that she can no longer produce the records because the office doesn’t exist. Graham is deliberately trying to stall in an attempt to avoid releasing her congressional records. She knows that after the holidays, when her office will be closed, it will be too late.

“She continued: ‘So here’s some advice for the DC crowd from a mother: Turn off your Twitter accounts and your press release machines for a few weeks; go spend time with your family, visit friends, check out some museums, read a book, and join the rest of our great nation in spending a few weeks without the nonstop vitriolic back and forth of Washington type politics.’” (Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster, “Email Insights: Republican Governors Association Takes Aim At Gwen Graham,” FloridaPolitics.com, 12/8/2016)

“Washington Politician Gwen Graham is deliberately avoiding the release of her congressional records – and refuses to give a real answer as to why,” said RGA Communications Director Jon Thompson. “Graham wants to be elected governor of Florida, an office in which all emails are public record. But as a member of congress, Graham appears poised to pull a Hillary and delete all of her emails. If Graham was actually focused on transparency, she would release her congressional records before leaving office so Florida voters know exactly who she officially communicated with and why. If transparency is the north Florida way, apparently it is the way for everyone but Graham. She now subscribes to the Washington way.”