INDIANAPOLIS – Despite highlighting his attacks yesterday on “coastal elites,” Congressman Rokita has spent plenty of time trying to raise money from those exact same establishment donors at high-dollar fundraisers in coastal cities.

Congressman Rokita has tried to position himself as an anti-establishment candidate in the race, yesterday describing his disrespectful campaign ad as “taking the fight to ‘coastal elites.’” Yet Congressman Rokita himself has focused his fundraising efforts on lavish fundraising events in D.C. and San Francisco.

In August, the Indy Star reported that Congressman Rokita held a fundraiser in San Francisco where guests contributed thousands of dollars at a restaurant described by the San Francisco Chronicle as a “men’s club meets mountain lodge.” Congressman Messer’s campaign quickly mocked its primary opponent, saying that “”with… this exclusive California fundraiser, maybe Congressman Rokita should change his catch phrase to ‘meet the elite.'”

The San Francisco event wasn’t the only instance that Congressman Rokita has hypocritically ditched his anti-establishment persona to hobnob with wealthy establishment donors. His campaign has spent almost $9,000 on fundraising expenses at the swanky Capitol Hill Club in D.C., a bastion of the Republican establishment that bills itself as “nation’s premier political club.”

“Congressman Rokita has shown time and again that he’s a career politician much more comfortable in a room full of wealthy establishment donors than he is talking with actual Hoosiers. It’s not hard for voters to see through the massive levels of hypocrisy in his campaign message,” said Michael Feldman, spokesman for the Indiana Democratic Party. “Despite his claims, Congressman Rokita has to hope he doesn’t take too much of a ‘fight’ to the coastal elites – who else would he raise money from?”

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