PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Democratic congressional candidate Tim Canova filed a complaint Monday with the Federal Elections Commission, asking the government agency to investigate the congresswoman he hopes to unseat.
With three weeks to go before the Aug. 30 primary election, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Florida, was dispensing information about the Zika virus to her senior constituents, but she remained vague about her plans to debate Canova.
"I said that I'm going to debate my opponent, and we're working out those details," Wasserman Schultz told Local 10 News reporter Glenna Milberg.
"Is there any chance we can have that on 'This Week in South Florida?'" Milberg asked.
"We're working on those details," Wasserman Schultz answered.
Canova has criticized the former Democratic National Committee chair for months.
"Until she actually debates me, she is dodging debates," Canova said.
The law professor and political newcomer, who is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, has made Wasserman Schultz's failure to debate him a running theme in his campaign against the Democratic Party veteran.
Asked to elaborate on what she was working out, Wasserman Schultz was vague.
"I don't have anything more to add than that I said I would debate my opponent, and we're working out those details," Wasserman Schultz said.
A poll commissioned by Canova put him eight points behind Wasserman Schultz days after she resigned as DNC chair in the fallout from the WikiLeaks email debacle.
"That's probably Wasserman-Schultz's strategy -- 'If I don't debate him, I'll win,'" Canova said. "And I think she's really mistaken on that."
When reminded that people are already voting absentee, Wasserman Schultz said the debate would happen sometime before the primary.
"Can we narrow it down even further?" Milberg asked.
"No," Wasserman Schultz said.
"The next week?" Milberg asked.
"We can narrow it down to, 'We're working out those details,'" Wasserman Schultz replied.