Inspired by the news that @Intel may have pledged to stop funding white nationalist congressman Steve King (though as far as I know, has not asked for their donation to be returned), let's take a deep dive into where Steve King gets his funding, courtesy of the FEC website
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Sorting by amount given, you'll see that one of King's key donors is MAJORITY COMMITTEE PAC, or MC-PAC. This is what's called a leadership PAC—discretionary money controlled by another member of congress, in this case Kevin McCarthy, the guy in trouble today for his Soros tweet
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Where does MC-PAC get its money? Well, among other things, from big tech companies who would rather not be caught supporting King directly, but are happy to do it through intermediaries. Tech companies understand the value of indirect pointers!pic.twitter.com/MhAknziEzE
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Another big backer of King's campaign is JOHN BOLTON PAC (not to be confused with MICHAEL BOLTON PAC), a creature of our mustachioed national security advisor. BOLTON PAC gave King the maximum allowed $10,000, which it looks like it raises from direct mailhttps://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?two_year_transaction_period=2018&data_type=processed&committee_id=C00542431&min_date=01%2F01%2F2017&max_date=10%2F28%2F2018 …
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Dismaying but not surprising are two large donations from KOCH INDUSTRIES, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (KOCHPAC) and NATIONAL PRO-LIFE ALLIANCE PAC, which both gave King five grand.
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Another $5K came in from HAWKEYE PAC, which is a leadership PAC associated with Iowa senator Chuck Grassley. This PAC is also heavily subsidized by tech industry money.pic.twitter.com/vFx4ebcjAg
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King also got $5K from AMERICAN CRYSTAL SUGAR COMPANY PAC. The sugar lobby will pay any congressman with a pulse as long as he votes their way on sugar subsidies. Amusingly, even candidates who pledge not to take corporate PAC money can take it from American Crystal Sugar—a co-op
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Another major donor to Steve King is, regrettably,
@ATT. I wonder whether@ATTCares that they're funding an outspoken Nazi sympathizer to the tune of five large.pic.twitter.com/cId4XMRASR
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Rounding out the list of $5K corporate donors is
@ValeroEnergy, an oil company. After that comes a long list of donors who gave King the maximum allowed from an individual, $2,700. Tucked into that list is a familiar name.pic.twitter.com/TXh53sE4pT
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Down in the land of $2,500 donations we come across Citizens United Political Victory Fund, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, the American Bankers Association,
@LandOLakesInc, Associated Builders and Contractors, and the hapless EGGPAC.pic.twitter.com/3ODP6XRVsE
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The intriguingly named EYE OF THE TIGER PAC is a leadership PAC associated with Steve Scalise, and when we pop that blister of course what squirts out is a stream of tech industry moneypic.twitter.com/NW54ghY7ih
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Going down further, we find more donations from BANKPAC, the sugar lobby, and the construction industry (which is King's day job). There's also a $2000 donation from
@TysonFoods,@intel, the American Optometric Association and a bunch of misguided podiatrists.pic.twitter.com/cCn78FQs83
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So if you're serious about de-funding Steve King, this is where it's most productive to start. I would focus especially on
@ATT and@LandOLakesInc — the latter is justifiably proud of having just chosen the first out gay woman as a Fortune 500 CEO. There's no need for Nazi butterShow this thread -
But the best way to de-fund Steve King is to kick him out of Congress! For the first time in years, King has a viable challenger in J.D. Scholten, who doesn't take corporate money and really hates Hitler—win/win! You can fund J.D. through the Great Slate:https://secure.actblue.com/donate/great_slate …
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End of conversation
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