Deputy Campaign Manager For Candidate Raises Questions

Well, Wisconsin politics has produced a résumé you don’t encounter every election cycle.

Former child actress Renee Olstead — who also goes by Renee Faust and later became an OnlyFans model and Penthouse honoree — is reportedly working as deputy campaign manager for Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong as Hong battles for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

Yes, there are several layers to this one.

According to The Heartland Post, Olstead has worked as a paid campaign operative since at least January. Her X profile declares “HONG 4 GOV” and links directly to Hong’s get-out-the-vote operation. The outlet also reported that Olstead has handled campaign logistics involving prominent surrogates, including political streamer Hasan Piker.

Hong is a democratic socialist facing Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, former Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan and state Sen. Kelda Roys in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Fox News Digital asked Hong’s campaign to confirm Olstead’s exact title, duties, employment status and qualifications. The campaign responded without directly answering each individual question.

Instead, it emphasized a very different portion of Olstead’s résumé.

“Renee Faust is a licensed mental health clinician who has spent her career providing care to trafficking survivors,” the campaign said. “Since joining the campaign in December, she has helped build the largest grassroots campaign in Wisconsin history.”

Then came the political counterpunch.

“The right-wing politicians attacking her are the same ones who want government dictating women’s health care decisions.”

So there’s the campaign’s case: Olstead is a mental health professional, an organizer and somebody Hong’s team credits with helping build its grassroots operation.

But that is not the only reason her involvement is attracting attention.

Olstead previously founded the Coalition for American Sex Workers, an organization advocating for decriminalization and other policy changes affecting people working in the sex industry.

And here’s where the story moves beyond somebody having an unconventional background.

Hong herself has pursued legislation that would decriminalize adult prostitution and establish a sex workers’ bill of rights.

In other words, the candidate and the campaign operative have an actual policy connection.

Then there’s the official state citation.

Last year, Hong and three other Wisconsin lawmakers presented Olstead with a Wisconsin State Assembly citation recognizing both her advocacy for sex workers’ rights and her selection as the 2024 “Penthouse Pet of the Year.”

That is not opposition research dug out of somebody’s forgotten social media account. Sitting state lawmakers participated in the recognition.

Fox News asked Hong’s campaign why she helped present that citation and precisely what she intended to honor. According to the report, the campaign did not directly answer that question.

Conservatives in Wisconsin are now making Olstead’s role an issue.

“Wisconsinites deserve to have serious people leading the state,” Wisconsin Family Action President Daniel Degner said.

“It is unbelievable to see that the likely Democratic nominee for governor has an active sex worker leading her campaign.”

Degner then pushed the controversy one step further, asking whether Olstead might receive a role in state government if Hong wins.

“Voters deserve to know whether if Hong is elected, she will elevate a porn star to leadership in her administration,” he said.

Now, important distinction: nothing in the supplied reporting establishes that Hong has offered Olstead an administration job.

Olstead is working on the campaign.