Let the 2010 GOP politicking begin.
Tom Hudson, the chairman of the Placer County Republican Party, filed a formal complaint with the state's campaign watchdog agency against Meg Whitman on Monday only hours after she announced she was exploring a run for governor.
In his complaint to the Fair Political Practices Commission, Hudson accuses Whitman of hiding her campaign expenditures, claiming she has been campaigning for months without disclosure.
"To date, Candidate has refused to file any campaign reports to disclose the tens of thousands or perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on her behalf to win the Republican nomination," he writes in his complaint.
Hudson cites press reports that Whitman "retained, hired and fired numerous campaign consultants, press assistants, pollsters, attorneys and campaign organizers over the last many months."
Meanwhile, Hudson is running for a post in the California Republican Party apparatus. Specifically, he wants to be Northern Vice Chairman.
And who endorsed Hudson for the post on Monday?
None other than Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, a top Whitman rival.
"It is unusual for constitutional officers to get involved in these intra-Party races, but Tom Hudson is not your typical candidate," said Jeff Evans of the California Taxpayer Protection Committee in announcing the endorsement.
Kevin Spillane, a Poizner spokesman, said the "endorsement came before the complaint was filed and was independent of the complaint."
The Poizner camp, Spillane said, did not know Hudson was filing the FPPC complaint.
There was "no quid pro quo," Spillane said.
A call to Hudson was not immediately returned.
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