Press

MD GOP Candidates for Delegate Should Reject Tainted Trump Money

Sep 19, 2018

Annapolis, MD—From the House of Representatives to the Maryland House of Delegates, Maryland’s Republican candidates can’t resist tainted Trump campaign contributions.

Yesterday, Donald Trump’s deputy campaign manager and Citizens United founder, David Bossie, and Trump apologist Congressman Andy Harris, hosted a fundraiser for the Republican House Caucus Committee. The money is being raised to help Republican candidates for House of Delegates, including Bob Flanagan (9B), Bob O’Shea and Chelsea Gill (both 30A), and Patty Ewing, Mark Bailey and Tim Walters (all 32.) these candidates are all fighting for election in districts that rejected Donald Trump in the 2016 election. Hillary Clinton received 54 percent of the votes in Districts 30A and 32, and 57 percent in District 9B.

Maryland Democratic Party chair Kathleen Matthews issued the following statement calling on the candidates to reject support from the committee:

“It’s time for Maryland Republicans to reject tainted Trump cash, and choose between their base that supports Donald Trump and the majority of their constituents who reject Trump’s politics. Congressman Andy Harris and David Bossie are two of Donald Trump’s chief defenders, and Republicans in the House of Delegates should reject all support from the Maryland Republicans House Victory Fund, and stand with voters in their districts, who overwhelmingly reject Donald Trump.”

Congressman Andy Harris, who will headline the House Republicans Victory Fund event, is also tangled in the swamp of tainted Trump contributions. In a desperate attempt to distance himself from former Trump campaign CEO, Paul Manafort, Harris donated a campaign contribution from Manafort to an anti-abortion nonprofit. On Friday, Manafort pleaded guilty to several felonies as part of his cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 Presidential Campaign.

And yet Harris has been Trump’s lap dog on the Russian election meddling. After Donald Trump’s #TreasonSummit with Russia, Harris “praised” Trump and “bashed” the press. The summit was widely condemned by Democrats, Republicans and foreign policy experts.

As president and chairman of Citizens United, Bossie is the figure behind the court case that gave rise to unlimited dark money in politics and has been a fierce defender of Donald Trump.  Just last month, Bossie accused Special Counsel Robert Mueller of attempting to “undo” the 2016 election. Bossie was also recently widely condemned after he used the phrase “cotton-picking mind” to insult the intelligence of an African American man on national television.