john james DvoS aa
<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">tom pending</font><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">rising star?</font></div><div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">tony fabrizio pow?</font></p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/02/13/devos-family-pumps-800-000-into-super-pac-focused-senate-race/4748081002/">https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/02/13/devos-family-pumps-800-000-into-super-pac-focused-senate-race/4748081002/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></div><div><b>DeVos family pumps $800,000 into super PAC targeting Peters</b></div><div>Craig Mauger</div><div>The Detroit News</div><div>
</div><div><b>
</b></div><div><b>Members of West Michigan's influential DeVos family have given $800,000 to a group focused on unseating Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, according to new fundraising disclosures.</b></div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Democrats alleged the contributions show<b> Peters' GOP opponent, Farmington Hills businessman John James, will stand with U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos</b> and her family. But Republicans countered that the contributions revealed key donors see how vulnerable Peters is this year in his re-election bid</span>. </div><div>
</div><div>Republican U.S. candidate John James and incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters will face off in November 2020.</div><div>
</div><div>A Jan. 3-7 poll by Glengariff Group of 600 likely Michigan voters showed Peters leading James 44% to 40% in a survey with a margin of error of minus-plus 4 percentage points. Peters is one of two senators running in states that President Donald Trump won in 2016, and first-term senators normally face a challenging re-election campaign, Glengariff's Richard Czuba said.</div><div>
</div><div>Six members of the DeVos family gave a total of $800,000 to <b>Better Future MI Fund, a super political action committee</b>, on Dec. 9.<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> Under federal election law, super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money trying to persuade voters as long as they act independently of the candidates' campaigns.</span></div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>Candidates face limits on how much they can raise from individual donors for their campaigns.</div><div>
</div><div>Asked about the contributions, DeVos family spokesman Nick Wasmiller said family members are "committed to active involvement in their communities."</div><div>
</div><div>They make political contributions and philanthropic contributions to "advance opportunity for all, preserve and enhance individual freedom, and encourage a fair and open economy that rewards hard work, encourages innovation and recognizes the important value of each person," Wasmiller added.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>Better Future MI Fund formed Oct. 31, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission. The super PAC had to file its first campaign finance disclosure, covering the last two months of 2019, on Jan. 31.</div><div>
</div><div>The super PAC's only contributors were, at that point, from six members of the DeVos family. Daniel and Pamella DeVos, listed as executives with RDV Corp., each contributed $200,000. Cheri DeVos and her husband, Steve Ehmann, each gave $100,000. And Doug and Maria DeVos each gave $100,000.</div><div>
</div><div>Members of the DeVos family gave a total of $800,000 to Better Future MI Fund in December, according to new campaign finance disclosures. The super political action committee is focused on Michigan's 2020 U.S. Senate race.</div><div>Tori Sachs, who served as campaign manager for James during his 2018 race for the U.S. Senate, is now consulting for Better Future MI Fund. Sachs declined to discuss the DeVos family contributions on Thursday, saying she wouldn't comment "on fundraising or strategy."</div><div>
</div><div>The DeVos family's patriarch, Richard DeVos, co-founded the health and beauty products company Amway. His son Dick DeVos unsuccessfully ran for Michigan governor in 2006.</div><div>
</div><div>Dick DeVos' wife, Betsy DeVos, is secretary of education under President Donald Trump. She's received heavy criticism from Democrats and some teachers over her support of charter and private schools. Betsy DeVos is not making contributions to candidates while serving as education secretary.</div><div>
</div><div>The DeVos family has traditionally given the most political contributions of all Michigan families. For the 2018 election, DeVos family members combined to spend $11.3 million on federal and state-level contributions, according to the nonprofit Michigan Campaign Finance Network.</div><div>
</div><div>Elena Kuhn, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Democratic Party, blasted the DeVos contributions to the pro-James super PAC.</div><div>
</div><div>“It’s easy to see why the DeVos family is already spending nearly a million dollars to fully throw their support behind John James — they know that he would stand with Betsy DeVos in boosting for-profit colleges and undermining our public schools instead of fighting for Michigan students, educators and hard-working families,” Kuhn said.</div><div>
</div><div>Education Secretary Betsy DeVos</div><div>As of the end of 2019, outside groups — organizations acting outside of the candidates' campaigns — had already spent $3 million on Michigan's 2020 U.S. Senate race, according to a Detroit News analysis.</div><div>
</div><div>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, has been "funneling millions of dollars to Michigan to try and protect a vulnerable incumbent," said Abby Walls, spokeswoman for the James campaign.</div><div>
</div><div>"Democrats recognize that a 30-year career politician will have a tough time against a combat veteran and job creator like John James," Walls added.</div><div>
</div><div><b>James challenged Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, in 2018 and lost by 6.5 percentage points.</b> Individual members of the DeVos family contributed $450,000 to the two top super PACs backing James in that race, ESAFUND and Outsider PAC, according to campaign finance disclosures. The total doesn't include corporate contributions from entities tied to the family.</div><div>
</div><div><b>James, like U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, has been able to draw contributions from donors across the country,</b> said John Sellek, CEO of the Lansing-based consulting firm Harbor Strategic Public Affairs.</div><div>
</div><div>“There have been a number of signs that both Michigan’s GOP leadership but also national leadership sees<b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> John James as a rising star and someone who could flip a Senate seat,</span>" </b>said Sellek, who has previously worked with Republicans.</div><div>
</div><div>cmauger@detroitnews.com</div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/11/gop-candidate-john-james-high-dollar-legal-fund-to-challenge-michigan-election-loss/">https://www.alternet.org/2020/11/gop-candidate-john-james-high-dollar-legal-fund-to-challenge-michigan-election-loss/</a></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">roger s salon</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">lost by 85K votes</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/10/16/michigan-republican-linked-to-organizer-of-rally-where-militia-allegedly-plotted-to-kidnap-whitmer/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">John James</a>, the Republican challenger who lost last week to Democratic incumbent Sen. Gary Peters in Michigan, has started a legal defense fund in anticipation of <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/10/19/michigan-republican-fundraised-at-devos-family-home-while-trying-to-downplay-financial-ties/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">the costs</a> of challenging his 85,000 vote defeat</b>, according to <a href="https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00762575/1471922/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">records</a> filed Monday with the Federal Elections Commission.</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The organization, called the James Legal Fund, is a joint <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/10/19/michigan-republican-fundraised-at-devos-family-home-while-trying-to-downplay-financial-ties/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">fundraising vehicle</a> between <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/05/29/leaked-video-gop-senate-candidate-told-black-leaders-its-pointless-to-call-out-trump-racism/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">the James campaign</a> and the Republican National Committee (RNC). It can <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/09/22/republican-party-spent-hundreds-of-thousands-to-buy-books-by-sean-hannity-donald-trump-jr/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">collect donations</a>, pay fundraising expenses and disburse money to both committees. Further, <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/08/13/trump-campaign-appears-to-be-hiding-massive-facebook-spending--but-why/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">the partnership</a> allows the fund to accept six-figure donations from individuals and transfer money out of the RNC to other GOP committees, such as the Trump campaign.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">James has plenty of high-dollar donors in his Rolodex. For instance, he has his deep ties to the wealthy DeVos family, members of which have donated <a href="https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/05/14/besty-devos-said-her-husband-would-halt-political-contributions-he-hasnt/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">tens of thousands</a> to his campaign. The DeVos family has also <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/08/05/michigan-gop-candidate-who-downplayed-ties-to-devos-hires-her-niece-after-getting-1m-cash-infusion/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">given to the Better Future Michigan Fund</a>, including <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?data_type=processed&committee_id=C00725317&contributor_name=Devos&two_year_transaction_period=2020" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">hundreds of thousands of dollars</a> from <b>Dan and Pam DeVos.</b> The super PAC <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/indexpend.php?cycle=2020&cmte=C00725317" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">spent upwards of $7 million supporting James</a>.</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The James campaign has also <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/08/18/dejoy-donated-big-to-gop-senators-up-for-re-election-theyre-still-silent-on-usps/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">taken money</a> from GOP megadonor and current Postmaster General Louis DeJoy</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, whose campaign donations have become the subject of congressional and legal scrutiny.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> James also appeared in a documentary soliciting support from a Steve Bannon political incubator. (It is unclear whether Bannon has funneled money to James.)</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Brett Kappel, a top campaign finance attorney at Harmon Curran, told Salon that contributions could find their way to the Trump team's legal expenses.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"The money that James raises here can go to his campaign or to the RNC, which can use them however they like," Kappel said. "The group's statement of organization doesn't specify that funds going to the RNC are going to be deposited into the RNC legal proceedings fund. Even if it did, the RNC could still use the money to pay for any Trump campaign legal challenges in Michigan or elsewhere."</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"John James is ending his failed campaign the way he started it: '2,000%' with Trump as he continues to prove his loyalty to the Trump team until the very end and damaging whatever credibility he had left," a Democratic aide in Michigan told Salon.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Peters, a one-term incumbent and ranking member of the Homeland Security and Government Accountability Committee (HSGAC), which oversees the DeJoy-run U.S. Postal Service, </b>trailed James as early results poured in on Tuesday. After mail-in ballots were counted, media outlets called the race in the Democrat's favor on Wednesday. The final tally put Peters ahead by about 85,000 votes, or about eight times the size of Trump's 2016 margin of victory in the state (which opponent Hillary Clinton did not challenge).</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Once heralded as a rising Republican star, James, who got 10,000 votes less than Trump statewide, has now lost back-to-back Michigan Senate races. Trump, whose legal challenges have already failed in the state, lost to Biden there by about 145,000 votes.</b></font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Both margins are highly unlikely to be swung in a recount, but James, under pressure from Trump surrogates to keep up the fight, has not conceded. Michigan law <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/06/mcdaniel-claims-election-misconduct-michigan-without-presenting-proof/6185731002/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">grants requests</a> for recounts if the complainant alleges fraud or an error and completes a statewide canvass.</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b style="">"John James: Do not concede," South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham</b>, a Trump loyalist, said during a Fox Business appearance on Sunday. "These computers in Michigan do not pass the smell test. Keep fighting for every legal and live vote."</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/10/933112418/the-trump-campaign-has-had-almost-no-legal-success-this-month-heres-what-they-ve" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">Two judges</a> have <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/11/05/judges-are-tossing-out-president-trumps-last-minute-attempts-to-sue-his-way-to-victory-one-by-one/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">tossed</a> legal challenges from the Trump campaign — one to halt the counting of votes and another to postpone the certification of results.</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Stuart Sandler, a consultant for the James campaign, alleged to <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/john-james-campaign-alleges-lack-of-integrity-in-vote-count" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">Fox News</a> that the Republican candidate had lead Peters until ballots mysteriously appeared under the cover of the night.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"There were all kinds of chicanery, including ballots that came in reportedly in the middle of the night at 3:30 a.m. — 35,000 ballots that were deceptively brought in," <b>Sandler said, without evidence.</b></font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Sandler also alleged that a former state Democratic chairman had bussed lawyers and activists to "disrupt the process" in Detroit. It is unclear why the Democratic Party would want to interfere with ballot counts a heavily Democratic area.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Democrats continue to fight for majority control of the U.S. Senate, which will likely be decided by <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/11/10/georgia-gop-senators-demand-gop-election-chief-resign-after-failing-to-outright-win-their-elections/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">two mandatory run-offs in Georgia this January</a>.</font></p><div class="around-the-web" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="from-your-siteheadline" style="text-transform: uppercase;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FROM YOUR SITE ARTICLES</font></div><ul class="around-the-weblist" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline-block; width: 589.446px; list-style: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><li class="from-your-siteitem"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/11/joe-biden-speech/" class="from-your-sitelink" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">'It's an embarrassment': President-elect Biden scorches Trump for ... ›</a></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></li><li class="from-your-siteitem"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/11/do-not-concede-mr-president-trumps-sycophants-urge-him-to-fight-bidens-decisive-victory-report/" class="from-your-sitelink" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">'Do not concede, Mr. President': Trump supporters urge him to fight ... ›</a></li><li class="from-your-siteitem"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/11/cnn-host-compares-trumps-refusal-to-concede-to-biden-to-the-ex-who-just-wont-accept-that-it-is-over/" class="from-your-sitelink" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">CNN host mocks Trump's refusal to concede: 'The ex who just won't ... ›</a></li></ul></div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">uh-oh </font></p><p><a href="https://truthout.org/articles/michigan-republican-senate-candidate-has-strong-financial-ties-to-devos-family/"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://truthout.org/articles/michigan-republican-senate-candidate-has-strong-financial-ties-to-devos-family/</font></a></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>mic<span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">higan Republican Senate candidate</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/05/29/leaked-video-gop-senate-candidate-told-black-leaders-its-pointless-to-call-out-trump-racism/" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">John James</a><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">attended a fundraiser at the home of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ brother-in-law while trying to downplay the financial help his campaign has received from the family.</span></b></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; clear: both; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">James attended a fundraiser at the home of DeVos’ brother-in-law, Dan, and his wife, Pamella, last month. Though James was well-distanced from the crowd, none of the attendees appeared to be wearing masks, according to a photo published (which has since been made unavailable) by former Allegan County Republican Party Chairman Kevin Whiteford to Facebook.</font></p><article style="box-sizing: inherit;"><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">James has extensive ties to the DeVos family, which has poured money into his race against Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich. His campaign<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/08/05/michigan-gop-candidate-who-downplayed-ties-to-devos-hires-her-niece-after-getting-1m-cash-infusion/" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">recently hired Betsy DeVos’ niece</a>, and his wife has worked at the DeVos family’s Amway empire for years. Members of the DeVos family have directly donated<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/05/14/besty-devos-said-her-husband-would-halt-political-contributions-he-hasnt/" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">tens of thousands</a> to his campaign.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The DeVos family has also<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/08/05/michigan-gop-candidate-who-downplayed-ties-to-devos-hires-her-niece-after-getting-1m-cash-infusion/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">funded the Better Future Michigan Fund</a>, a super PAC which has now<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/indexpend.php?cycle=2020&cmte=C00725317" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">spent at least $7.1 million</a> to help James defeat Peters. Dan and Pam DeVos have contributed<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?data_type=processed&committee_id=C00725317&contributor_name=Devos&two_year_transaction_period=2020" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">hundreds of thousands of dollars to the super PAC</a>.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Despite other Republican Senate candidates<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/464660-mark-kelly-outraises-mcsally-in-arizona-senate-race-for-third-straight" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">being outraised</a> by<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/11/politics/jaime-harrison-fundraising-record-south-carolina-senate-race/index.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">massive sums</a> across the country, James has managed to<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/13/michigan-race-gop-senate-429168" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">outraise Peters throughout most of the campaign</a> despite losing his 2018 Senate race to Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., by seven points.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Two<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/13/michigan-race-gop-senate-429168" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">recent polls</a>, one of which showed the race virtually tied, suggest that Michigan is one of the few competitive seats where Republicans could pull off an upset next month.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">James has spent some of the money he’s raised to buy ads downplaying his ties to the DeVos family.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>James recently<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/JohnJamesMI/status/1301156746791202818" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">released an ad</a> trying to distance himself from<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/05/22/betsy-devos-openly-admits-shes-using-the-pandemic-to-impose-her-private-school-choice-agenda/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">Betsy DeVos’ assault on public education</a>, insisting that he believes a “quality education is a basic civil right.”</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>“You’re not running against President Trump, or Betsy DeVos or any other boogeyman,” James told Peters in the ad. “You’re running against me. This may surprise you senator, but no one owns me.”</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>James previously declared that he<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/ingrid-jacques/2017/09/28/ingrid-jacques-john-james-gop/106060268/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">supports Trump “2,000%.”</a></b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>A Democratic super PAC<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?active_status=all&ad_type=political_and_issue_ads&country=US&id=315073049913201&view_all_page_id=104033728104744" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">accused James</a> of backing “DeVos’ agenda to cut public school funding and put it into wealthy private schools instead.</b>” <em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Politifact</em> <em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Michigan</em> rated the claim “mostly false,” though only because James has repeatedly avoided saying anything specific about his education policy. James has frequently declined to state his views on education, and he turned down a request to push back on the claim. His campaign declined<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/sep/24/senate-majority-pac/james-supports-school-choice-and-devos-does-he-wan/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">PolitiFact</em> <em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Michigan</em>’s</a> “request for any details about his education policies that would rebut” the allegation. The campaign did not respond to questions from Salon, as well.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">James has generally been supportive of DeVos’ agenda, which has<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/07/23/betsy-devos-accused-of-diverting-pandemic-relief-funds-from-poor-students-to-wealthy-private-schools_partner/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">steered money away from public schools</a> to private and religious schools.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“She’s headed in the right direction,”<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2020/09/24/john-james-betsy-devos-education/3519051001/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">James reportedly said in 2018</a>. “She’s got a lot of inertia, I think. By doing things to get more power back to the states and to parents, I truly believe that if we give parents the resources and the opportunity to decide what’s best for their children, they will make the best decision 100% of the time.”</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“The job Betsy DeVos is doing in pubic education, I think, is very, very good,” he reiterated a few months later in audio published by the Democratic<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L55QQuYBtrw&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=JohnJamesRevealed" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">Senate Majority PAC</a>.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Those comments came after DeVos sought to cut Department of Education funding while increasing federal grants to private schools.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“James is very on the record about supporting her,” Senate Majority PAC spokesman Matt Corridoni told <em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Politifact Michigan</em>, “and she’s very on the record about her positions.”</font></p></article><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></p></div>