“With his poll numbers sagging and the criticism raging, venture capitalist and Senate hopeful J.D. Vance’s campaign appears to be dodging the spotlight. The Daily Beast has learned the tech investor has now backed out of two upcoming debate appearances pitting him against the GOP primary field. The news comes as Vance falls more than a week behind his personal financial disclosure filing due date, which itself had already been extended for 90 days.
“Asked why Vance ducked the debates, campaign spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk said in an email that Vance already had ‘prior commitments when we found out about the dates of the forums,’ adding that ‘the campaign was not notified of the days of the forums until October 25.’ But emails reviewed by The Daily Beast challenge that claim.
“Two emails confirm that the primary candidates, including Vance, had been informed of the dates several weeks in advance. The campaigns were also notified of one final change, related to an event in mid-November, in an email sent Sept. 27. That email, which The Daily Beast has reviewed, lists specific dates, locations, and estimated time slots for each of the upcoming debates.”