Wisconsin Treasurer Sarah Godlewski won't say whether she will disavow a $15,000 in-kind contribution from Hollywood director Joss Whedon, who faces multiple allegations of harassment and mistreatment of actors.
On September 23, 2018 Godlewski, a Democrat, received a $14,588.16 in-kind contribution for ad production from Whedon's political action committee, One Vote at a Time.
Whedon, most famous for directing Marvel's The Avengers and its sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron, has been under fire for years for a pattern of allegedly abusive behavior. This month, actress Charisma Carpenter accused him of "abus[ing] his power on numerous occasions while working...on the sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel" in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
"While he found his misconduct amusing, it only served to intensify my performance anxiety, disempower me, and alienate me from my peers," she wrote. "The disturbing incidents triggered a chronic physical condition from which I still suffer."
The allegations mirror those of Ray Fisher, who worked with Whedon when Whedon reshot scenes from the 2017 DC Comics film Justice League.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress Michelle Trachtenberg also echoed these complaints about Whedon's toxic behavior, saying that he engaged in behavior that was "not appropriate." Trachtenberg was 15 years old when she joined the show's cast.
"The last comment I will make on this is that there was a rule saying [Whedon was] not allowed [to be] in a room alone with [me] again," she wrote on Instagram.
"The Dan O'Donnell Show" reached out to both Godlewski and a spokeswoman in the State Treasurer's Office seeking comment on the allegations but did not receive a response.
"Do you renounce Whedon's in-kind contributions to your campaign?" "The Dan O'Donnell Show" asked. "Do you believe that by not returning $15,000 (the amount of money said contribution is valued at), you are tacitly expressing your approval or at least tolerance of his behavior? What is your comment on the behavior of such a large donor to your campaign?"
Neither Godlewski nor her spokesperson responded to repeated requests for comment.
Godlewski was elected Treasurer in 2018 and is reportedly considering a run for the U.S. Senate next year.
Dan O'Donnell discussed this controversy at length on Monday's show. Click on the player below to listen and click here to subscribe to "The Dan O'Donnell Show" on iHeartRadio!