Shady business practices, new polls, and running from poor records
Welcome to another edition of Transplant Turmoil—the weekly series spotlighting the ways Republican carpetbaggers continue to prove themselves as out-of-touch with the state they’re running in.
New polling from Cook Political Report revealed the extent of Republicans’ candidate quality problem as incumbent Democratic leaders continue to lead their Republican challengers.
“Republicans are realizing that no amount of wealth can compensate for bad candidates—nor can it revive their failing campaigns,” said End Citizens United Spokesperson Grace Silva. “It’s clear these carpetbagging Republicans underestimated voters’ ability to recognize their lies and realize their extreme agenda only benefits themselves and their corporate benefactors. The people know they cannot trust these out-of-touch, out-of-staters to work for them in Washington and are ready to send them back to their homes.”
Here’s what the GOP’s out-of-touch candidates have been up to:
#WISen: California Bank Owner Eric Hovde Still Hiding Finances
- Following his victory in the Wisconsin primary, Hovde told reporters that he wasn’t sure how much he’ll spend in the race—but acknowledged that he is unable to compete with the grassroots support Senator Baldwin is receiving from across the state.Since his candidacy announcement, he has raised about $16.7 million—$13 million of that out of his own pocket. Senator Baldwin has raised more than $36.7 million this election cycle. It just proves that all the money in the world can’t buy Wisconsinites’ vote.
- The California millionaire continued to dodge any questions on his personal wealth—even when directly asked by reporters. Though he stands to be one of the most wealthy Senators if elected, Hovde still refuses to say if he would divest his holdings from his bank, despite consistently accepting investments from foreign banks and governments dating back to 2017. Wisconsin lawmakers this week held a press conference warning voters of his shady finances.
- Hovde took to conservative radios to peddle a bizarre and offensive conspiracy theory, claiming that the deaths of Freddie Gray, Michael Brown, and Trayvon Martin were political stunts by President Obama and Democrats to generate “maximum anger.” Not only were his comments blatantly incorrect, but using the tragic deaths of three Black men to perpetuate a political agenda is beyond disrespectful.
#MTSen: Wannabe Cowboy Millionaire Tim Sheehy Shady Business Practices Under Renewed Scrutiny
- According to new bombshell reports, Shady Sheehy has been lying about his success as a businessman. He was exposed for misreporting his company in an effort to solidify federal contracts. It was revealed that while the company was at risk of defaulting on its debt, multiple board members resigned, and overall the company struggled financially—Sheehy continued to rake in millions—including multimillion-dollar bonuses. This revelation follows Sheehy claiming that if his “business isn’t doing well, [he won’t] get paid” during a campaign stop. This is just the latest in Sheehy’s sketchy business history after former employees hit him with a lawsuit and reports detailed his heavy reliance on government contracts while refusing to divest his ownership stake in the company could create conflicts of interest.
#PASen: Connecticut Hedge Fund Millionaire Dave McCormick Tries—and Fails—To Outrun Fentanyl Investment
- McCormick is doing everything in his power to distance himself from his record of investing nearly $2 million in China’s biggest fentanyl producer. He tried to claim that Senator Bob Casey, who passed the Fend Off Fentanyl Act and is fighting to pass the Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act, has invested in a Chinese fentanyl producer—which is false. And as much as he claims otherwise, multiple outlets verified that McCormick did invest in China’s biggest fentanyl producer. It’s clear that McCormick thinks he can pull a fast one but the voters can see right through his flimsy attacks.
#MISen: Florida-Man Mike Rogers Lies About Record
- Rogers’ released a new ad this week where he claims he will take on big corporations and fight to change Washington to put Michigan families first—despite his record doing the exact opposite. No matter what he says, voters know that Rogers will only ever look out for himself. They remember that while in office, he cozied up to corporations—taking $5 million dollars in corporate PAC money—and advanced their agenda at Michiganders’ expense. The irony of the ad is not lost among working Michigan families.
#NVSen: Scam Brown Falls Behind Sen. Rosen in Polls
- If Republicans hoped that Scam Brown would be able to unite Nevadans—they were sorely mistaken. New polling from Cook Political Report shows Senator Rosen holding a 12 point lead over Brown. From his extreme anti-abortion stance, his calls to repeal the Affordable Care Act and dismantable the Department of Education, and his unpopular support for Yucca Mountain, it’s understandable why voters refuse to vote for Brown.
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