Richardson’s opponent calls her “a national embarassment”

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One of Rep. Laura Richardson’s opponents in Tuesday’s Democratic primary called her ‘a national embarrassment’ on Sunday, arguing Richardson’s personal financial troubles have undercut her ability to fight for her district.

‘When you have someone representing you in Congress with this sort of national embarrassment, it makes it very hard for her to lobby for this district,’ said Lee Davis, a community activist running against Richardson.

Davis was citing Richardon’s recently publicized history of multiple mortgage defaults on multiple properties -- eight defaults on three houses, and one foreclosure.

Richardson has not responded to repeated requests from L.A. Land for details about the defaults, or her negotiations to modify mortgage loans. She also declined to be interviewed for an article published in Saturday’s Los Angeles Times.

‘If she doesn’t care about herself and being responsible, do you think that’s a person who’s going to care about her constituents?’ Davis asked. ‘I think there is something very, very wrong with it. She makes $169,000, that’s enough to pay her mortgages. ... This goes to her character.’

Davis continued, ‘She’s a person who will do or say anything to win. There are credibility issues, there are integrity issues. ... We just don’t need a representative who doesn’t respond to the press or the people. Are we to continue to elect someone who is negligent in her finances, negligent in paying her bills, negligent in responding to the people she represents? Do we need two more years of that? Laura needs to go.’

On Saturday, Richardson’s other Democratic opponent, Peter Mathews, accused her of ‘a pattern of financial irresponsibility.’

Photo Credit: Lee Davis for Congress
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