Cunningham, Cal
<div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">wow bad news cycle day, but not in echo bubble?</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/09/this-vulnerable-gop-senator-was-a-top-recipient-of-postmaster-generals-alleged-illegal-donation-scheme/">https://www.alternet.org/2020/09/this-vulnerable-gop-senator-was-a-top-recipient-of-postmaster-generals-alleged-illegal-donation-scheme/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>r</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>epublican Sen. Thom Tillis was a top beneficiary of a straw donor scheme orchestrated by Donald Trump’s postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, </b>according to </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/louis-dejoy-campaign-contributions/2020/09/06/1187bc2c-e3fe-11ea-8181-606e603bb1c4_story.html" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">a lengthy and detailed article</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> published over the holiday weekend by </span><em style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The</em><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> </span><em style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Washington Post</em><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</span></font></div><div class="row" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="col-sm-12" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="story-body story-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The <em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Post</em> reports that DeJoy pressured employees at his logistics firm to make large contributions to Republican candidates for over a decade and then reimbursed them with company bonuses—a ploy that would violate both federal and state laws prohibiting “straw donations” designed to get around campaign finance limits. DeJoy pressed for these donations in a bid to win influence as a political power broker, a strategy that culminated in his heavily criticized appointment as head of the United States Postal Service earlier this year.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">But before Trump boosted him onto the national political scene, according to the <em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Post</em>, DeJoy directed his efforts chiefly toward politicians in North Carolina, the home state of New Breed Logistics, which he ran for more than 30 years until it was bought out in 2014. Tillis, who faces a difficult reelection this fall, received almost $300,000 from New Breed employees when he first ran for the Senate in 2014—a race in which he defeated incumbent Democrat Kay Hagan by just a 48.8-47.3 margin.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a statement, a Tillis spokesperson told the <em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Post</em>, “Neither Senator Tillis nor our campaign had knowledge of these findings.” However, Tillis’ November opponent, Democrat Cal Cunningham, <a href="https://twitter.com/CalforNC/status/1302707833616637952" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">has called on the senator</a> to return the donations. <b>House Democrats, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/09/08/910652770/house-dems-investigating-postmaster-general-over-campaign-finance-allegations" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">say they are investigating DeJoy</a>, and North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein <a href="https://www.wral.com/nc-attorney-general-calls-for-investigation-into-us-postmaster-for-alleged-campaign-contribution-fraud/19273471/" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">said that allegations</a> like those made in the <em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Post</em>‘s report would “merit investigation,” though he declined to comment further.</b></font></p></div></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div>