Shakeup in Hall-Long's campaign for governor weeks ahead of Delaware primary

In the days following a forensic audit revealing several campaign finance irregularities, Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long’s gubernatorial campaign announced the departure of two top staffers.

This announcement comes in the final few weeks before the Sept. 10 primary election.

According to a statement released July 31, campaign director Quentin Heilbroner and fundraising director Sydney Diewald have chosen to leave the team by the end of the week.

According to trusted sources, both Heilbroner and Diewald’s departures were “amicable.”

What changes were made in Bethany Hall-Long's campaign staff?

Diewald first joined Hall-Long’s campaign in January 2024, along with then-rising campaign director Donnie Johnson.

They joined after many top staff members, including then-former campaign manager Brandon Cox and fundraising consultant Jennifer Mueller, left as the campaign was undergoing an internal audit conducted after issues were raised surrounding last year's campaign finance records.

These issues surfaced shortly after Hall-Long announced her intent to run for Governor last fall.

Johnson had left the campaign a few months prior for personal reasons, according to close sources.

Before bringing Johnson and Diewald on board, Cheryl Webb was named treasurer after Allison Murray left less than one month into Hall-Long’s campaign.

Murray had previously replaced Hall-Long’s husband in that same role.

Related: Staffing changes bring 2 new faces to Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long's gubernatorial campaign

Who will be leading Bethany Hall-Long's campaign?

According to the statement, native Delawarean Matt Dougherty was named Hall-Long’s new campaign manager, citing his experiences working in multiple levels of Democratic politics, including in the First State.

Dougherty was considered for a chief of staff position for the Wilmington City Council in 2022, but a letter of recommendation in his favor submitted in June was withdrawn for unknown reasons, according to earlier reports.

Prior to his new position, Dougherty also served as campaign coordinator for Sen. Tom Carper.

According to the statement, in addition to Dougherty, Debra DeLuca will assume fundraising responsibilities, while Dan McCormick will remain in the role of communications director.

When reached by phone, Dougherty declined to comment for this story.

An in-depth look: Why Wilmington council still hasn't hired a chief of staff

Will Bethany Hall-Long stay in the gubernatorial race?

The forensic audit of Hall-Long’s campaign finances released earlier this week found the campaign's reporting to be “incomplete, inconsistent, inaccurate and misleading.”

Following the audit’s release, some state officials, including Delaware House Rep. Sophie Phillips, called for Hall-Long to end her gubernatorial run.

New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer, a fellow Democratic candidate for Governor, pushed for a federal investigation into Hall-Long’s campaign finances in a press conference on July 30.

Hall-Long in an emailed statement Friday disputed findings in the forensic audit and pledged to address any issues.

"I will address any bookkeeping discrepancies head on," the lieutenant governor said.

More: Calls for federal probe, ending run for governor plague Lt. Gov. Hall-Long's campaign

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Bethany Hall-Long's campaign director, fundraising director depart