If you read the sensational headlines in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, you might think Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany's campaign arbitrarily blocked one of the Journal Sentinel's reporters from its campaign event. That did happen. Reporter Mary J. Spicuzza was barred from Tiffany's campaign event in Milwaukee.
At Tom Tiffany’s campaign stop in Milwaukee, staff is blocking @MSpicuzzaMJS and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel from covering the event pic.twitter.com/BMV97w0huR
— A.J. Bayatpour (@AJBayatpour) September 24, 2026
The truth, however, is far different and requires a little bit of background. It starts with campaign fundraising.
Tom Tiffany is absolutely dominating the money race and ad spending by a factor of three-to-one, according to Milwaukee radio host Dan O'Donnell.
Democrats' hearts just don't seem to be in the Wisconsin gubernatorial race. Leading left-wing figures haven't campaigned or even tweeted about it, David Crowley is badly trailing Tom Tiffany in both fundraising and ad spending (by a factor of roughly 3-1), and Tiffany's ground… pic.twitter.com/wb9LT9mJz7
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) September 21, 2026
From January 1 to June 30, Tiffany raised more than $8.7 million. Disbursements are just over $7.4 million. He also had almost $3 million in cash at the end of the period, according to campaign filing documents. David Crowley, on the other hand, has raised just over $250,000 and ended with $315,178.70 in cash. He's spent a little over $537,000, again, according to campaign filing documents.
Tiffany is absolutely dominating the money race. It's why Crowley had his fundraising assistant Mary write that article before he headed out to beg for money in DC yesterday.
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) September 24, 2026
Twice this month, David Crowley has made trips to Washington, D.C., likely to ask national Democrats for financial help. One trip was around September 15.
Hope David Crowley enjoyed his trip to DC yesterday for a fundraiser with the corporate giants, lobbyists, and liberal elites that he will answer to if he becomes Governor of Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/R4uyzEWQyu
— Tiffany War Room (@TiffanyWarRoom) September 16, 2026
The other was just this week.
Listen to Wednesday’s “Dan O’Donnell Show,” as we investigate David Crowley’s second trip to Washington, D.C. in eight days in a desperate attempt to make up Tom Tiffany’s massive cash advantage. Plus, an update to the Democrats’ child sex predator scandal and the most hilarious…
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) September 23, 2026
With that in mind, on September 23, Journal Sentinel reporter Mary Spicuzza wrote a story about the billionaires funding Tiffany's campaign. It read more like a memo to D.C. than actual reporting:
Three billionaires are responsible for the about two-thirds of the campaign cash raised so far by Republican candidate for governor Tom Tiffany, campaign finance reports show.
Of the approximately $15.6 million Tiffany reported having raised in finance reports filed as of August, more than $10 million came from the Republican Party of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Federation of College Republicans. And the vast majority of the money brought in by the party - more than 90% - has come from billionaires Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein and Diane Hendricks, according to finance reports.
The money has flowed to Tiffany with the help of a 2015 law passed by the Republican-controlled state Legislature that overhauled campaign finance rules, including a change that allowed unlimited contributions to state parties. Wisconsin Democrats have used the changes to their advantage in recent years, but in this race, Republicans so far have had a significant cash advantage.
It's no coincidence the story dropped right around the time Crowley was making another trip to D.C. to ask for Democrat cash. That's why the Tiffany campaign kept Spicuzza out of the event, while a Journal Sentinel photographer and reporter Jessie Opoien were allowed to attend.
As someone pointed out, Reid Hoffman has given $15 million to Wisconsin Democrats.
Don't worry - Reid has the Dems back. pic.twitter.com/BGGnu698bT
— KatzyAnn_5@yahoo.com (@katzyann_5) September 23, 2026
Where was the Journal Sentinel story on that?
Why would Tom Tiffany's campaign allow his opponent David Crowley's fundraising assistant in? Wait, she's a REPORTER?!?!?! Man, I just assumed this dreck she wrote yesterday was a Crowley fundraising pitch! https://t.co/2lB2DUshyl https://t.co/TiSzRyFJBl
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) September 24, 2026
Spicuzza was also notified that she was not permitted to attend the event the day before.
Liberal activist @MSpicuzzaMJS was notified yesterday that she would not be permitted to attend.
— Tiffany War Room (@TiffanyWarRoom) September 24, 2026
MJS has a photographer at the event, and we welcome all balanced journalists across Wisconsin, including @jessieopie.
That’s why WISN, CBS 58, and other outlets are in attendance. https://t.co/K25fbVNdQt
O'Donnell noted that the Journal Sentinel's own reporting of the event conveniently omitted Spicuzza's name.
At no point in this story does the Milwaukee @JournalSentinel identify its own reporter who was banned. Seems like an odd thing to omit, right?
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) September 25, 2026
Not when you learn that it's Mary Spicuzza (@MSpicuzzaMJS), who YESTERDAY wrote an article so obviously aimed at helping Tiffany's…
"Seems like an odd thing to omit, right?" O'Donnell wrote on X. "Not when you learn that it's Mary Spicuzza (@MSpicuzzaMJS), who YESTERDAY wrote an article so obviously aimed at helping Tiffany's opponent David Crowley fundraise on his trip to Washington DC that it came across as a Crowley fundraising email."
"Her name was omitted because it proves the Tiffany campaign correct in saying she is a biased hack who cannot possibly cover him or any Republican fairly," the post continued. "She is worse than a propagandist for David Crowley; she is a fundraiser for him and, as such, has no business attending a Tiffany event."
Republicans have long been the target of unfair and biased media coverage, and not just in Wisconsin. When President Trump was nominating his cabinet members, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had 100 percent negative coverage in media stories. That's not fact-based reporting; it's partisanship. The same thing applies in Wisconsin.
That's why the Tiffany campaign kept Spicuzza from the event, while allowing another Journal Sentinel reporter and photographer to attend.
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