After calling big money in politics ‘disgusting’ at a Tiger Bay Club meeting last week, he responded to a question about his father’s $200,000 contribution to a pro-Murphy super PAC by calling it a ‘gotcha question.’
That didn’t sit so well with the TC Palm editorial board and Murphy’s dodge earned a ‘thumbs down.’
It’s clear that Murphy, who once proclaimed that the fight against money in politics is a ‘fight for our democracy itself,’ can’t escape his own hypocrisy – and with his dad stroking six figure checks, it’s just as clear that he doesn’t want to.
Check out the full TC Palm editorial here:
Thumb Down: Questions About Money In Politics
March 10, 2016
MURPHY MONEY: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Murphy, currently a congressman from the Treasure Coast, has railed against big money in politics. But he’s happy to accept large checks from his father.
Thomas Murphy, chief executive of Miami-based Coastal Construction, spent more than $550,000 in 2012 helping his son beat Republican U.S. Rep Allen West, and has donated more than $200,000 to Murphy’s Senate campaign.
When asked about this at a recent St. Petersburg event, Murphy grew prickly, stating, "I hate the money in politics, and I hate the sort of gotcha questions, too," according to the Tampa Bay Times.
While Murphy said he supports the repeal of Citizens United and wants to get money out of politics, he added, "I’m certainly not going to single-handedly disarm though."
Murphy should expect questions like this, and answer them directly. It’s not "gotcha" politics to wonder if he sees his father’s donations as part of the problem, or some sort of exception.