This is going to shake things up.
Marianne Williamson’s unconventional bid for the presidency has encountered numerous obstacles, including internal turmoil and frequent staff turnover. To address these issues, Williamson has enlisted the help of a new campaign manager, Roza Calderon. However, Calderon’s appointment is not without its own concerns.
In 2017, Calderon faced accusations of financial fraud from a local Democratic party group in Placer County, California. Allegedly, Calderon utilized nearly $1,900 from the Placer Women Democrats’ bank account for personal expenses. The group’s treasurer at the time, Sharleen Finn, filed a police report, claiming that Calderon had even deleted internal financial documents in an attempt to cover up her misdeeds.
Kathleen Crawford, chair of the Placer County Democratic Central Committee, expressed hope that Calderon had learned valuable lessons from her past actions. However, Calderon declined to provide any comment on the matter.
Rather than refuting the allegations against Calderon, the Williamson campaign acknowledged the past accusations but asserted that the issue had been resolved and dismissed by the Superior Court of Placer County. They labeled the questions regarding the matter as a potential political attack, standing firmly behind Calderon’s leadership capabilities and her instrumental role in leading the campaign to victory.
Reports indicate that Calderon had served as a volunteer treasurer for the local Democratic Party county group, granting her access to the organization’s online accounting ledger and credit card.
When asked about the allegations against Calderon, Peter Daou, Williamson’s former interim campaign manager, refrained from commenting on specific individuals but mentioned that all the individuals he had hired for the campaign had received positive recommendations. Daou had brought Calderon on board in April to serve as a fundraiser for the Williamson campaign.
Calderon’s brief stint at the progressive nonprofit Our Revolution also raised eyebrows. While Calderon claimed to have held the position of director of development from December 2022 to April 2023 on her LinkedIn profile, an anonymous spokesperson from Our Revolution clarified that she had been a contract fundraiser and was never an official employee or authorized representative of the organization.
The Williamson campaign has grappled with internal challenges since its inception, leading to significant staff turnover. Daou’s departure in May was accompanied by the exit of several other staffers. Former campaign workers have attributed these departures to Williamson’s management style, which they describe as abusive and reminiscent of her time as an author and celebrity guru in Southern California during the 1990s.
The campaign’s financial situation adds to the mounting pressures, with less than $250,000 in cash on hand at the end of the first quarter. It remains uncertain whether Williamson’s campaign can sustain the financial demands of a national presidential race, particularly given its underdog status. The release of the next campaign finance report on July 15 will provide further insights into the campaign’s financial health.
Williamson has vehemently dismissed allegations about her behavior as baseless slander, accusing former staffers of seeking personal gain within the political establishment.