ABC & USC Center for Political Future Face Backlash as Villaraigosa Attorney Demands Debate Access

Debate organizers pressed to overturn rigged criteria amid public backlash

LOS ANGELES, CA — Prominent attorney Eric George, Esq of Ellis George LLP sent a demand letter on behalf of Antonio Villaraigosa to ABC News and the University of Southern California Center for the Political Future to immediately revisit and correct his exclusion from the upcoming California gubernatorial debate. The demand letter follows days of public outcry from editorials and community organizations about opaque criteria and exclusion of major Democratic candidates.

“Let’s be clear: this debate lineup doesn’t pass the smell test,” said Communications Director Raquel Robinson. “You can’t claim to be objective while rigging the formula to boost a candidate with weaker polling and fundraising over others who were excluded. That isn’t transparency. It’s manipulation. California voters see it, and ABC News and USC Center for Political Future need to fix it immediately.”

The demand letter cites objective criteria where Villaraigosa leads several of the included candidates on multiple criteria. Villaraigosa leads an included candidate in the cited poll (5% to 3%). He also leads several included candidates in fundraising through February 18 ($6.5M raised to Mahan’s $3.7M raised or Porter’s $6.2M raised). “Days in the race”, the last metric, has the effect of excluding candidates of color who entered the governor’s race significantly earlier on average.

Read the full demand letter here.

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