Racist stereotypes, questionable finances, and anti-abortion 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.
“Even after months of campaigning, it’s clear Republicans don’t have the first idea about what voters actually care about—like lowering costs for working families and protecting individual freedoms,” said End Citizens United Spokesperson Grace Silva. “Instead, wealthy Republican carpetbaggers are running on an unpopular, extreme agenda. They only care about their own self-interests and those of their wealthy buddies.”
Here’s what the GOP’s out-of-touch candidates have been up to:
#PASen: Connecticut Hedge Fund Millionaire Dave McCormick’s Disturbing Tenure as CEO
- Throughout his campaign, Dave McCormick has pointed to his leadership at Connecticut hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, as a reason why Pennsylvanian voters should elect him to the Senate. However, new details from “The Fund,” a 2023 book, offers damning new insight to what kind of leader McCormick actually was. McCormick’s ties to China and Saudi Arabia are already known, but “The Fund” notes that many Bridgewater employees felt the relationships were risky, if not unethical. But, McCormick “argued at Bridgewater that by the firm’s staying quiet on the country’s human rights record, Saudi money would continue to roll in.” The book also points to multiple instances where he pressed former employees to remain silent about unwanted sexual advances that occurred at Bridgewater—even threatening “litigation for the rest of [their] life.” It’s beyond alarming that this is the kind of leadership that McCormick believes qualifies him to represent Pennsylvania in the Senate.
- Last week, McCormick was in the hot seat for sharing a story from Philadelphia, Mississippi mistaking it for Pennsylvania and for getting fact-checked by Hersheypark after spreading pricing misinformation in an attempt to smear Senator Bob Casey. This week—not much has changed. In another attempt to drum up false controversy on Senator Casey’s record on crime, the Connecticut millionaire shared another tweet about crime in Pittsburgh. Yet, the story he shared was out of Clairton—which, Pennslyvanians were quick to point out, is not Pittsburgh. You’d think he’d learn to at least look at a map before tweeting, but it’s clear he doesn’t know the first thing about Pennsylvania.
#MTSen: Wannabe Cowboy Millionaire Tim Sheehy Spews Racist Tropes about Indigenous Tribes
- Newly revealed audio clips exposed Tim Sheehy making offensive comments and perpetuating racial stereotypes about the Crow Reservation. When discussing his relationship with the tribe, Sheehy is heard saying he ropes and brands with members, as it’s “a great way to bond with all the Indians while they’re drunk at 8:00 A.M.” He also made similar comments at a different campaign event, where he told the audience that he rode in the Crow Fair, “They’ll let you know when they like you or not, if Coors Light cans flying by your head.” Since the reporting, the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council have sent a letter asking for a formal and public apology from Sheehy—but he has not responded to any comments or questions. With Native Americans making up nearly 7% of Montana’s population, this is further proof that he cannot be trusted in the Senate to represent the state.
- Sheehy’s business, Bridger Aerospace, is under more scrutiny as financial experts ask the U.S. Small Business Administration to investigate the $160 million bond arrangement between the company and Gallatin County, following reporting from NBC News and the Washington Post. In a letter, Gallatin County business owners, financial experts, and taxpayers demanded an investigation into: how Bridger spent the bond—and if it was used to primarily pay back a private investment firm based in New York as well as Bridger misrepresenting themselves as a “socially and economically disadvantaged business,” which may have allowed them preference in securing government contracts. For someone who continues to tout his business experience in his campaign, these are damning allegations that should be disqualifying.
#WISen: California Bank Owner Eric Hovde’s Pattern of Selling Out Wisconsinites
- As Wisconsinites struggle with the rising cost of living, Eric Hovde has admitted that the recent inflation has helped pad his own pocket. He said, “Inflation helps in the short to medium term, people who own assets – I’ve benefitted, because my real estate values go up, my equity portfolio goes up, the value of my private companies go up.” He also opposed President Biden’s efforts to bring down the costs, calling the Inflation Reduction Act a “big, ugly bill.” He has also called for tax increases for lower and middle income families. Hovde isn’t running for Senate to help the people—he just wanted to further his own bottom line.
- Once again, Hovde has been exposed for saying one thing and doing the opposite. Last fall, he lamented outsourcing jobs, but prior to entering politics, Hovde invested millions of dollars in firms that laid off hundreds of Wisconsin workers, moving production to southern states—and in one case, to Mexico—to benefit from cheaper labor costs. Hovde invested over $15 million in NCR Corp, which closed a Wisconsin plant that was “the backbone of the city,” in 2009, to move locations for cheaper labor. He also invested millions in several other companies that continued to shutter their workforce in Wisconsin to outsource their jobs to other states. His decades-long pattern of working against Wisconsinites is disturbing and paints a clear picture of who the California millionaire truly is.
#NVSen: Scam Brown Refuses to Protect Abortion Access
- As Nevadans fight to add protections for abortion rights to the state’s Constitution, Sam Brown has refused to weigh in on how he’ll vote. However, in newly obtained audio revealed that last month, Brown signaled that he would vote against the protections. Brown has flip-flopped and offered contrasting statements on reproductive rights. His refusal to support adding abortion rights to Nevada’s Constitution will make it easier to roll back access if Brown is elected to office.
- In his years of failed campaigns, Brown has touted himself as a “small-town guy,” but has failed to mention that his extended family owns the Cincinnati Bengals, an NFL team worth $4 billion—and that these relatives have been financially contributing to his political career for some time. Last quarter, Brown received over $13,000 from his great uncle and his Bengal executive son-in-law. During his 2022 campaign, Brown also received “$10,000 from current owners of the team and their spouses” including a double max contribution from team owner Michael Brown, $2900 from his wife Nancy, $1000 from his aunt, Bengals Executive VP Katie Blackburn (Paul Brown’s granddaughter) and another $2900 from his uncle Paul Brown Jr., who is a Vice President of the team.
#MISen: Florida-Man Mike Rogers Anti-Abortion Record in Spotlight
- Try as he might, Mike Rogers cannot outrun his terrible record on protecting reproductive rights. Jezebel slammed his hypocrisy in a new report, highlighting his history of working to restrict and minimize abortion access and care, as well as IVF and contraception. His staunch anti-abortion stance dates back to 2000, when he completed a candidate questionnaire supporting the “Human Life Amendment,” which would ban abortion from the moment of conception and enshrine fetal personhood in the Constitution. Since then, he’s looked to criminalize women for making their own medical decisions, cosponsored four personhood bills while in Congress, and celebrated the overturning of Roe. He may claim to respect Michigan’s abortion laws, but all voters need to do is look at his record to see what he truly believes.
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