Two days before the June 30 primary, Edie Hooton said she took “full responsibility” for her campaign after a staffer’s fake Reddit post attacked rival Kubs Lalchandani while posing as a CU parent.
The apology followed Boulder City Councilmember Mark Wallach’s decision to drop Hooton and back Lalchandani, saying he doubted Hooton’s account that she did not approve the post before it appeared.
Anna Wert, 24, lost two campaign jobs over the post: Hooton fired her from the regents race, and District Attorney Michael Dougherty removed her as social media manager for his attorney general campaign.
The dispute now centers on what Hooton knew in advance: she first said she knew nothing, later said Wert floated the idea and was rejected, while sources close to the campaign told Boulder Reporting Lab she approved it.
The controversy has overshadowed a competitive Democratic primary for a CU regent seat likely to decide November’s winner, even as outside groups and candidates pour tens of thousands of dollars into the race.