One day after President Donald Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) received contributions from donors who have given money to Democrats, Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, and the Never Trump Lincoln Project.
Trump on May 19 endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the primary runoff between him and Cornyn, saying in a post on Truth Social, “Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate.”
He added, “Ken Paxton has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next United States Senator from the Great State of Texas – KEN PAXTON WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
Despite the president’s endorsement of Paxton over the incumbent Cornyn, the Texas Senate Republican has vowed to continue his reelection campaign.
In the day after the president’s endorsement of Paxton over Cornyn, Cornyn raised nearly $150,000. Many of these donors have long histories of donating to anti-Republican, anti-Trump campaigns, and organizations including the Never Trump Lincoln Project.
Josh Fish, the chairman and CEO of Suffolk Construction in Boston, Massachusetts, donated $3,500. In 2018, federal election officials slapped Suffolk Construction with a “precedent-setting” $34,000 fine after ruling that the company improperly donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to a pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC at the same time it held a million-dollar government contract.
Brett Kappel, a partner and political campaign finance expert at Akerman LLP, a D.C. law firm, said at the time, “This is actually similar to other issues with pay-to-play laws,” Kappel said. “If you make a contribution (as a contractor), it’s a violation of the law. It doesn’t matter how small a portion of your business it is.”
Jason Rhodes, who works at Atlas Venture, donated $1,000. Rhodes donated nearly $15,000 to Sen. Bill Cassidy’s (R-LA) leadership fund, $7,000 to Cassidy’s campaign, and countless Democrats this cycle alone, as well as donating to the Never Trump Lincoln Project. Cassidy infamously voted to impeach Trump during the Democrats’ second move to impeach the president. Such Democrats include Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX), Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), and more.
Gregg Keller, the spokesman for the Lone Star Liberty PAC, told Breitbart News in a written statement, “Moments after President Trump endorsed MAGA Champion Ken Paxton, RINO John Cornyn reverted to the John Cornyn we all know him to be: taking money from Democrats and the liberal coasts. Cornyn even accepted money from Lincoln Project donors! John Cornyn has simply taken off the MAGA mask he’s been wearing for Texas voters and returning to what he’s always been: a RINO who sold Texans out on a border wall and on the 2nd Amendment.”
Keller added, “The only surprise is it took this long; Texas Republicans should not be fooled.”
A spokesman for the Cornyn campaign said, “Ken has massive funding from left wing trial lawyers.”
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