Wu Busted on Hot Mic: "More Cash, Less Crap"
GAITHERSBURG, Md. — What was supposed to be a slick campaign kickoff for the Maryland House of Delegates devolved into an embarrassing hot mic moment, courtesy of District 39 candidate Robert Wu spilling the beans on his real endgame.
Fresh off pumping up the crowd with platitudes, Wu, a current city of Gaithersburg councilmember, walked behind the stage backdrop, unaware his microphone was live.
"Great job. They were glued to every word!" fellow councilmember Lisa Henderson could be overheard congratulating Wu.
"Yep, hook, line, and sinker! And thank goodness, 'cause this delegate thing? It's straight-up about more cash, less crap," Wu said in a hushed voice.
Before campaign aides could intervene, Wu kept talking. "Work like a dog all year for 30K, or pull 56Gs while lobbyists buy me crab cakes for three months? Duh."
He went on. "Can you believe Ashman and McNulty, running for County Council? 65-hour weeks, pretending to admire putrid pastel murals in Wheaton, standing next to Marc Elrich when all you can think about is that old-guy wet-cardboard smell. There isn't enough money or ketamine."
As aides frantically pulled plugs, Wu was heard touting the perks. "People call you 'Delegate Wu' like you're royalty, and the rest of the year? Golf, baby. Plus no matter how bad you screw up, you just blame the feds and you're cool."
Wu's hot mic moment may not have cost him the race, but it did earn him a competitor.
Just hours after the event, as recordings of Wu's snafu went viral, Rockville councilmember Izola Shaw announced she is dropping her bid for the County Council and will instead challenge Wu for the District 39 Delegate office.
"It's not as much money, but it's still a big upgrade, and I do love crab cakes and free summers," Shaw said. Her announcement came a few hours after every single person who remotely matters in Montgomery County politics sang Kumbaya at her former competitor Jud Ashman's campaign kickoff event.
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Publisher’s Note: The following are the actual current salaries for the offices mentioned:
City of Gaithersburg Council Members: $30,631
City of Rockville Council Members: $32,190
Maryland State Delegates: $56,636
Montgomery County Council Members: $167,172
For a non-satirical deep dive into all levels of government and the salaries paid to officials elected by Montgomery County voters, check out: How Much Do We Pay Our Elected Officials?
