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Maine 'Independent' Candidate Almost Wholly Funded By GOP Donors

Maine 'Independent' Candidate Almost Wholly Funded By GOP Donors

State Sen. Rick Bennett’s independent campaign for Maine governor is being supported by Republican donors and operatives, including allies of former far-right Gov. Paul LePage.

Maine has a history of electing independents to statewide office. Angus King, who is one of only two independents in the U.S. Senate, served as governor from 1995 to 2003. Independent Eliot Cutler came in second in the state’s 2010 governor race.

Bennett is a strange choice to pick up that mantle. He was vice chair of the Maine Republican Party from 2013 to 2017 and has both sought and held multiple offices in the state as a member of the GOP. He didn’t end his affiliation with the party until last year, when he launched his current campaign.

“We need leaders who will work with anyone—Republican, Democrat, or independent—to ease the financial pressure on families,” Bennett said in his campaign launch video. “That’s why I’m running as an independent.”

Campaign finance disclosures show that Maine Wins Together, the chief super PAC supporting Bennett, is almost entirely funded by wealthy Republicans.

The group took in $50,000 this year from Gray and Sandra Bahre, who inherited an auto-racing fortune. The duo also gave $14,000 to LePage, who is running for Congress this year in Maine’s 2nd District. They gave another $24,000 to LePage’s victory fund, $10,000 to a PAC supporting LePage, and $15,000 to the Maine Republican Party.

Maine Wins Together took in another $50,000 from liquor magnate Paul Coulombe. In 2014, Coulombe gave $160,000 to the Maine Republican Party. He also contributed to LePage’s failed 2022 bid for governor.

LePage, who has called himself “Donald Trump before Donald Trump,” served as governor from 2011 to 2019. He became known during this period for his extremist views and offensive remarks. He infamously refused to expand Medicaid in the state even after voters passed a referendum requiring him to do so.

Bennett campaigned with LePage in 2010 and served on LePage’s transition team after the election. LePage later wrote a letter recommending Bennett for a State Department role in the first Trump administration.

Finance disclosures also indicate that Bennett’s campaign is being advised by Election Hive, a Utah-based Republican consulting firm. The firm has also worked with Sen. Mike Lee, whom the Institute for Legislative Analysis ranked as the most conservative senator of 2024.

Bennett will face Democrat Hannah Pingree and Republican Bobby Charles in the general election. A recent Siena Research Institute poll found Bennett trailing both candidates with only eight percent support.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

New Collins Ad Hides Key Role In Advancing Trump's Huge Medicaid Cuts

New Collins Ad Hides Key Role In Advancing Trump's Huge Medicaid Cuts

A new ad claims Maine Sen. Susan Collins opposed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), even though she helped shepherd it into law.

The ad specifically cites the law’s $1 trillion cut to Medicaid, which will force about 12 million Americans to lose their health insurance over the next ten years. “When Medicaid was on the line,” the ad says, “Susan Collins stood up for Maine.”

While it’s true that Collins was one of only three Senate Republicans to vote against OBBB, she did cast a procedural vote to begin debating the bill, practically guaranteeing its final passage.

The vote to debate passed 51-49, with Vice President J.D. Vance standing by to cast a potential tie-breaking vote. In other words, had Collins and one other Republican defected, the entire bill could have been stopped.

North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, a fellow Republican, said Collins’ vote proved she was a “team player,” adding that she “helped us get on the bill at a time when we needed that help.”

OBBB is expected to have a devastating impact on health care in Maine. A KFF analysis says the state will lose up to $3 billion in federal Medicaid spending, resulting in about 33,000 Mainers losing their health insurance.

The law will also imperil Maine hospitals that depend on Medicaid reimbursements for revenue. This is particularly true of rural hospitals in remote areas, which are often the only emergency medical providers for hundreds of miles.

The ad was paid for by Collins’ reelection campaign. She is seeking a sixth term this year and has been endorsed by Vance and Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

Collins’ Democratic challenger will be chosen at a July 25 nominating convention.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

Senate GOP Ads Broadcast Lies On Immigrants, Medicaid And Trump Budget

Senate GOP Ads Broadcast Lies On Immigrants, Medicaid And Trump Budget

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is running ads in multiple states that spread disinformation about Medicaid and undocumented immigrants.

The ads target Democratic Senate candidates in Ohio, Alaska, Iowa, Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Michigan for not supporting the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), which the NRSC claims stopped undocumented immigrants from receiving Medicaid benefits.

This claim is false. Federal law already barred undocumented people from accessing Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) coverage. Instances of undocumented people being erroneously enrolled in these programs are extremely rare.

Republicans have made this claim about OBBB repeatedly since the legislation was introduced. Health policy experts, including the Kaiser Family Foundation and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, have repeatedly debunked it.

The law does, however, make profound changes to Medicaid. OBBB will cut about $1 trillion from the health insurance program over the next decade, resulting in up to 12 million Americans losing their coverage. The bulk of those cuts will fund tax breaks that disproportionately benefit the wealthy.

Sens. Jon Husted (OH) and Dan Sullivan (AK) both voted for OBBB, as did Reps. Ashley Hinson (IA) and Mike Collins (GA), who are both running for Senate this year. Former New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu and former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers, who are also running for Senate, have both publicly praised the law.

Michael Whatley, the Republican Senate candidate in North Carolina, said he would have voted for OBBB “in a heartbeat.”

A tracking poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that OBBB is deeply unpopular with voters. Sixty-four percent of respondents have an unfavorable view of the law. Among independents, 71 percent oppose it.

President Donald Trump has proposed additional tax cuts and further cuts to government programs if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate after the 2026 elections.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

North Carolina Senate Nominee Stands By January 6 Pardons Despite Sex Crimes

North Carolina Senate Nominee Stands By January 6 Pardons Despite Sex Crimes

Republican Michael Whatley continued to defend President Donald Trump’s pardons of January 6 insurrectionists, even after it was discovered that some of those individuals had been charged with sex crimes.

Trump issued a blanket pardon to everyone who participated in the 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, despite initially promising to pardon only nonviolent offenders. NPR later reported that dozens of those rioters had prior convictions or pending charges, including for rape and the sexual abuse of minors.

Whatley, who is a candidate for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina, was asked during a February meet-and-greet whether he still supported Trump’s pardons. Whatley said, “Yeah,” and described the prosecutions as “malicious.”

NPR identified one of the pardoned rioters as David Daniel of Mint Hill, N.C., who was previously charged with producing sexually explicit material featuring a minor under the age of 12. Daniel argued that Trump’s pardon applied to this offense as well. A judge disagreed and he ultimately pleaded guilty to the offense.

Others were charged with sex crimes after the pardons were issued.

Andrew Paul Johnson of Florida received a life sentence in March for molesting a child under 12 and another under 16. He told one of his victims that he expected a settlement from the federal government related to the pardon and offered to share it with the victim if they stayed quiet.

Johnson may have gotten this idea from Trump himself, who tried to create a slush fund to pay victims of so-called “government weaponization,” which would presumably include the pardoned rioters.

Whatley said he supported the fund, which is currently being blocked by a federal judge.

Whatley’s tolerance of this behavior risks drawing attention to another scandal. From 2019 to 2024, he served as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. During that time, he appointed Harvey West to two party committees, according to a March report by the Asheville Watchdog, despite West having pleaded guilty in 2000 to taking indecent liberties with a minor.

Trump has endorsed Whatley’s campaign. Whatley will face former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in the general election.

Endorsed By Trump, Georgia GOP Senate Nominee Made Millions Off Crypto

Endorsed By Trump, Georgia GOP Senate Nominee Made Millions Off Crypto

Georgia Rep. Mike Collins endorsed a ban on congressional stock trading while he was actively buying and selling cryptocurrency.

When a voter confronted Collins about this during an April meet-and-greet, he tried to claim that his activities were not corrupt because cryptocurrencies were immune from insider trading.

“I don’t know how you would manipulate crypto,” Collins said. “It’d be like trying to manipulate the dollar, the peso or something. But the stock trading, I don’t know how to do it … All I want to know is when people stop doing it. They’re getting insider information.”

Collins’ characterization is not accurate. While it’s true that cryptocurrencies are sold on digital exchanges rather than the traditional stock market, individuals can still use clandestine information to maximize their profits. Because cryptocurrencies are not securities, these cases are often prosecuted as wire or commodities fraud, as opposed to traditional insider tradinghttps://americanjournalnews.com/mike-collins-backed-stock-trading-ban-while-betting-big-on-crypto/.

In 2021, the House Ethics Committee fined North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorne $14,000 for promoting a cryptocurrency that he had a sizable stake in.

Many of the proposed bans on congressional stock trading, including ones that Collins has endorsed, would apply to cryptocurrencies as well.

Last month, Collins secured the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Georgia. His primary opponent, former football coach Derek Dooley, repeatedly attacked him over his cryptocurrency holdings.

“Collins treats Congress like his own crypto casino,” Dooley’s campaign wrote on X. “Georgians deserve leaders focused on service, not self-enrichment.”

This line of attack seems likely to continue into the general election. Incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff has made cracking down on political corruption and self-enrichment a major focus of his reelection campaign.

At the same time, President Donald Trump has come under fire for raking in $1.4 billion from his family’s cryptocurrency business. Trump has endorsed Collins’ campaign.

A Fox News poll from earlier this month showed Ossoff leading Collins among likely voters by 13 points.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

As Iran War Raised Gas Prices, Oil Lobby Sent Big Checks To Senate Republicans

As Iran War Raised Gas Prices, Oil Lobby Sent Big Checks To Senate Republicans

The two main groups responsible for electing Republicans to the U.S. Senate have taken large donations from the oil and gas industry.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and the Senate Leadership Fund PAC (SLF) have received a combined $6.83 million this year from oil company PACs, executives, and trade groups, all while fuel prices rose as a result of the war in Iran.

During this same period, Senate Republicans facing reelection repeatedly voted to continue the war, helping sustain the huge profits oil companies were reaping from these higher costs.

“The reason why oil companies are doing so well right now, or at least are projected to do very well in the near term, is exactly because Americans are hurting,” Kelly Mitchell, who leads the oil and gas industry watchdog Fieldnotes, told the Guardian.

Since February, SLF has received $250,000 from Valero, $100,000 from Marquis Energy, and $2 million from Chevron. It also received $1 million from the American Petroleum Institute, the largest trade group representing domestic oil and gas companies.

Chevron is on track to make $9.2 billion from war profits alone this year. Valero’s stock value has jumped by 24% since the conflict began.

Billionaire Paul Singer personally gave $1.5 million to SLF and $310,000 to the NRSC. Singer’s venture capital firm, Elliott Investment Management, took over Citgo Petroleum earlier this year.

Former Sunoco CEO Sam Susser contributed $75,000 to the NRSC this year. Oil baron Philip Anschutz gave $150,000.

The $6.83 million figure also includes donations from individuals and groups adjacent to the oil and gas industry. Coal billionaire Joe Craft, for example, gave $100,000 to SLF. The value of coal increased as a result of the war’s destabilizing effect on global energy supplies.

“If your goal is domestically produced energy and you’re South Africa or Indonesia or China, coal looks pretty good from an energy security standpoint,” Jason Bordoff, the founding director of the Center on Global Energy Policy, told the New York Times.

Energy Transfer LP, which ships natural gas throughout the world, gave $500,000 to SLF this year. Semafor reported in March that the company will likely continue to profit from the war even after it ceases because of heightened shipping costs and the time needed for the energy supply chain to fully recover.

The American Exploration & Production Council, which represents independent oil producers, gave $100,000 to SLF. The group also received $750,000 from Koch Inc., the energy and oil refining conglomerate owned by far-right billionaire Charles Koch.

Republican Sens. Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Ashley Moody of Florida, and Jon Husted of Ohio voted eight times to block war powers resolutions that could end the war. Maine Sen. Susan Collins voted to block the resolutions six times.

Republican Reps. Ashley Hinson of Iowa and Mike Collins of Georgia, both of whom are running for the U.S. Senate, voted four times to block the House counterpart of those resolutions.

Collins and North Carolina Republican Michael Whatley have come under scrutiny for substantial oil and gas investments that enable them to personally profit from the war. Former New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu, who is mounting a comeback bid this year, has similar investments and has expressed support for the war.

President Donald Trump announced on June 14 that a ceasefire had been reached with Iran. Details of the agreement, which is expected to be finalized on June 19, have not yet been made public.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

Alaska GOP Senator's Campaigns Spent $1.5M On Golf Resorts And Luxury Lodging

Alaska GOP Senator's Campaigns Spent $1.5M On Golf Resorts And Luxury Lodging

Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan has spent more than $1.5 million worth of campaign funds at luxury hotels and restaurants, according to his financial reports.

Lawmakers are permitted to spend campaign cash on meal and travel accommodations, but federal law stipulates that these expenditures must be related to official activities and cannot be for personal use.

Sullivan’s suspicious spending encompasses nearly his entire Senate career, from 2015 to his current reelection campaign. He is seeking a third term this year and is expected to face former Rep. Mary Peltola in the general election.

The spending was spread across three groups: Alaskans for Dan Sullivan, his official campaign apparatus; Sullivan Victory, a joint fundraising committee tied to his Senate campaign; and True North PAC, a Sullivan-led group that supports other Republicans.

In the first quarter of 2026, these entities spent a combined $65,847 on food and lodging, about 92 percent of which was spent outside Alaska. This includes spending $3,500 on a stay at the Four Seasons resort in Palm Beach, FL.

In 2025, these groups spent $333,291 on lodging, meals, and catering, more than double their 2024 figure of $164,936.

Some of Sullivan’s most prominent spending over the last decade has been at hotels known for their golf accommodations. The Alaska Democrats put out a press release documenting this trend in April.

“While we’re paying $5 for a gallon of gas, choosing between paying for groceries or health care, and struggling to afford housing, Self-Serving Sullivan has literally been wining and dining Lower 48 special interest donors at luxurious golf resorts,” said Alaska Democratic Party Chair Eric Croft.

An example is the La Quinta Resort & Club in Palm Springs, CA, where Sullivan groups have reported 24 payments over the years totaling $160,737. These charges were for lodging, meals, and event space.

While La Quinta is generally considered a mid-tier hotel chain, its Palm Springs property is a palatial resort with five golf courses, sprawling rose gardens, and private swimming pools. It’s also where season 16 of The Bachelorette was filmed.

Between 2022 and 2025, Sullivan groups reported spending more than $151,000 on lodging and events on Kiawah Island, a barrier island off the South Carolina coast. Most of this was spent at the Kiawah Golf Resort, the site of the 2021 PGA Championship.

Bloomberg News reported in October 2025 that Sullivan co-hosted a fundraiser on Kiawah Island with Arkansas GOP Sen. John Boozman during a government shutdown. Boozman is an avid golfer.

Sullivan groups reported spending $21,000 earlier this year at The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona, which has a golf course designed by renowned architect Phil Smith. The private resort also has a three-story spa and is known for hosting celebrity guests.

Rooms at The Phoenician can cost as much as $9,500 per night.

Between 2019 and 2025, Sullivan groups reported spending $2,441 at The Breakers resort in Palm Beach, which has an oceanside golf course and is a short drive from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

The lavish spending stands in contrast to Sullivan’s efforts to project a working-class persona, including regularly attending campaign events dressed in work boots and a Carhartt jacket.

Quiver Quantitative estimates Sullivan’s net worth to be $8.4 million.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

Violating Law She Sponsored, Susan Collins Failed To Report $395K In Stock Trades

Violating Law She Sponsored, Susan Collins Failed To Report $395K In Stock Trades

Maine Sen. Susan Collins failed to report up to $395,000 in stock trades, violating a law that she helped pass.

The STOCK Act requires members of Congress and their spouses to disclose stock transactions within 45 days of a trade being ordered. A review of the Republican senator’s disclosures from 2013 to 2018 shows 24 transactions that were reported more than 100 days late.

All of these trades were made by Collins’ husband, Thomas Daffron, a former lobbyist. The late-reported items include shares of Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, and CVS.

NOTUS reported that Collins also failed to report a purchase of Pfizer stock earlier this year.

Collins supported the STOCK Act when it was introduced in January 2012 and helped shepherd it into law by becoming the first Republican to back the measure. It ultimately passed with bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Barack Obama.

“At a time when polls show low public confidence in Congress, there is a strong desire to address the concerns that underpin the public’s skepticism and assure the American people that we put their interests above our own,” Collins said in defense of the law.

Collins has since opposed efforts to completely ban stock trading by members of Congress, an idea supported by the vast majority of voters and members of her own party. A Brennan Center survey found that 81 percent of adults support such a ban.

Collins has acquired considerable wealth as a result of her investments.

In 2001, she reported her net worth as between $111,000 and $315,000. According to Quiver Quantitative, which tracks the wealth of lawmakers, her net worth in 2013—less than a year after marrying Daffron—was $3.8 million. Today, it is $6.9 million.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Collins and Daffron had personally profited from the war in Iran through their substantial oil and gas holdings.

The STOCK Act requires lawmakers to pay a fine for every transaction reported outside the 45-day window. These fees are frequently waived by the House and Senate ethics committees. It is unclear whether Collins has been investigated or reprimanded for the infractions.

Collins is running for a sixth term this year. Her likely Democratic opponent is oysterman and veteran Graham Platner, who has pledged to support a congressional stock trading ban.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

GOP's Hinson Posts Lying Ad About Democrat Turek Minutes His Primary Win

GOP's Hinson Posts Lying Ad About Democrat Turek Minutes His Primary Win

Less than an hour after Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, his Republican opponent released an ad lying about his record.

Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson posted the ad to X along with text claiming that Turek supports gender reassignment for minors, amnesty for undocumented immigrants who commit crimes, and a “90% tax rate on hardworking Americans.” Turek has neither advocated for nor voted for any of these policies.

The ad itself, which features a menacing voiceover, says Turek “supports kids changing gender without parental consent.” The ad cites SF 496, a bill that passed the Iowa House and Senate in 2023 with only Republican votes and was later signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds.

The law prohibits public schools from teaching lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity to elementary-aged students. It also requires schools to notify parents in certain circumstances involving a child’s gender identity preferences.

The law also bans books that allegedly depict sex acts from K–12 school libraries. The broad language of this provision has led to several literary classics being removed from shelves, including high school reading staples like The Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Turek has consistently opposed book bans and publicly blasted the law, describing it as state censorship. Earlier this year, he criticized a similar bill that would threaten librarians with jail time if they helped students obtain banned texts.

“This is what we’re spending our time on?” Turek said at a legislative forum in March. “Trying to ban libraries and books and prevent kids from having access to books? I think it’s fundamentally wrong.”

Turek is far from alone. SF 496 has been the subject of multiple lawsuits and legal challenges. A federal judge struck down the law, but it was later reinstated by the U.S. Court of Appeals. While the law is currently in effect, ongoing litigation has given it an uncertain future.

Hinson’s claim that Turek’s opposition to the law amounts to supporting “kids changing gender without parental consent” is intellectually dishonest.

The U.S. Senate election in Iowa will be one of the most-watched races of 2026. The state has trended red in recent years, but Democrats are hopeful they can reverse that tide amid rising prices and record-low approval ratings for President Donald Trump.

Shortly after his primary win, Turek told Politico why the state may be more competitive than some think.

“In Trump’s last midterm, we won three of the four congressional races, [and] we were only three points away from winning all four,” Turek said. “This is a common-sense state, not a red state.”

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

'Not A Politician': GOP Cleans Up Oil Lobbyist For North Carolina Senate Race

'Not A Politician': GOP Cleans Up Oil Lobbyist For North Carolina Senate Race

A new ad from the conservative group Americans for Prosperity portrays Michael Whatley as a political outsider despite his two-decade career as a corporate lobbyist.

A voiceover claims that “while others chased power, Whatley worked to make a difference,” but his résumé is a virtual case study in revolving-door politics, with him constantly ping-ponging between the public and private sectors.

Federal law requires most lobbyists to publicly disclose their clients and earnings. A review of Whatley’s disclosures dating back to 2005 suggests that much of his work was done on behalf of oil and gas companies, an industry in which he continues to have deep financial investments.

Whatley’s public sector experience includes four roles: deputy assistant secretary at the Energy Department from 2001 to 2003, Sen. Elizabeth Dole’s chief of staff from January to December 2004, chair of the North Carolina Republican Party from 2019 to 2024, and chair of the Republican National Committee from 2024 to 2025.

In 2005, Whatley founded his first lobbying firm, The Patriot Group, which dissolved less than a year later. Despite its short tenure, the firm represented several large utility providers, including Cinergy, which later became Duke Energy.

Today, Duke Energy is the largest utility company in North Carolina and a financial supporter of Whatley’s Senate campaign. Duke Energy is expected to seek permission to raise rates for North Carolinians in the next year.

From 2005 to 2008, Whatley was employed by O’Connor & Hannon (now Nossaman LLP), a California-based firm that specializes in energy and health care policy.

Whatley’s disclosures from O’Connor & Hannon indicate that he personally generated at least $1.3 million for the firm, managing the accounts of several big-name clients, most notably Exxon Mobil, General Electric, and the weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

Whatley founded another lobbying firm, HBW Resources, in 2007. The firm still exists today and specializes in the “energy, environment, conservation, transportation, and infrastructure sectors,” according to its website. Between 2007 and 2022, the firm took in more than $8 million from corporate clients, including the American Petroleum Institute, the largest trade association for the U.S. oil and gas industry.

Between 2022 and 2025, when Whatley ran the North Carolina GOP and the Republican National Committee, he was also employed as a consultant by Capital City Ventures, another D.C. lobbying firm.

Whatley’s personal finance disclosures show Capital City Ventures paying him $755,555 over a two-year period. His main clients appear to have been Centrus Energy, a nuclear power provider, and GE Vernova, formerly General Electric.

Whatley’s net worth is estimated between $3.5 and $12 million.

Americans for Prosperity, the group pushing Whatley as a political outsider, has ties to the energy sector as well. The group is closely affiliated with Koch Industries, a manufacturer of petroleum and polymers.

Whatley’s campaign website makes no mention of high utility or gas costs. His Democratic opponent, former Gov. Roy Cooper, has made lowering those costs a core plank of his campaign platform.

Cooper’s plan calls for making the energy grid more efficient and cracking down on data centers that use large amounts of power and drive up costs.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

Dan Sullivan

New Research Report Accuses GOP Senate Candidates Of Self-Enrichment

A new memo from End Citizens United flags ethics concerns about five Republicans competing in marquee Senate races.

Since 2015, End Citizens United has worked to eliminate dark money in U.S. politics by calling out corruption and elevating candidates who support commonsense campaign finance reforms.

The memo alleges that Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers, former New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu, and North Carolina Republican Michael Whatley have all engaged in patterns of double-dealing and self-enrichment.

End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller says these Republicans “have spent their political careers leveraging their influence, cashing in on their connections, and abusing the public trust for personal gain instead of fighting for their constituents.”

The memo details, for example, how Sullivan has repeatedly voted to advance the interests of RPM International, a chemical manufacturing company run by his brother and in which he holds up to a $5 million stake. This includes blocking an amendment that would have allowed the EPA to crack down on cancer-causing pollutants and substances.

The memo also lays out Sullivan’s side hustle as a stock trader. He has made up to $2 million worth of trades while in office and has an estimated net worth of $8.29 million.

Collins is also a prolific stock trader, the memo says. Last year, she dodged questions from a reporter about her husband owning shares of Boeing, RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon), and other companies regulated by Congress.

Collins claimed to have no knowledge of her husband’s financial dealings despite reporting them in her own personal financial disclosures. Both Collins and Sullivan opposed a bipartisan effort to ban stock trading by members of Congress and their spouses.

Rogers, meanwhile, left Congress a decade ago, reportedly to pursue money-making ventures. According to the memo, he leveraged his national security expertise into lucrative consulting gigs with multinational corporations, including a cell phone company that helped Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro spy on civilians.

Rogers is now running for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat with the backing of President Donald Trump.

Sununu, another Trump-backed candidate, followed a similar trajectory. After leaving the Senate in 2009, he went to work for a lobbying firm whose clients included Pfizer, Gilead, Merck, Bayer, and Johnson & Johnson. He is now trying to return to the Senate on a platform of lowering health care costs.

Whatley also had an extensive lobbying career. He spent more than a decade advancing the interests of oil and natural gas companies. His current oil and gas investments are worth up to $1.39 million and have grown substantially as a result of the war in Iran.

“Voters expect elected officials to fight for hardworking families, not to cozy up to special interests and then walk through the revolving door to cash in,” Muller said. “We’re committed to holding these Revolving Door Republicans accountable for putting themselves and their donors ahead of the people they’re supposed to serve.”

End Citizens United has endorsed the likely Democratic candidates in these races: former Rep. Mary Peltola in Alaska, oysterman Graham Platner in Maine, Rep. Chris Papas in New Hampshire, and former Gov. Roy Cooper in North Carolina.

Michigan’s Democratic Senate candidate will be chosen in an August 4 primary.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

Report: Massive Corporate PAC Money Funneled To Collins, Husted, And Lawler

Report: Massive Corporate PAC Money Funneled To Collins, Husted, And Lawler

End Citizens United, a progressive group dedicated to eliminating dark money in politics, has rolled out a new list of the most corrupt lawmakers in Washington.

The list highlights 19 representatives and three senators whom the group says are more beholden to corporate donors than their own constituents. All of the listed lawmakers are Republicans.

“They side with Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Tech, and Wall Street while hardworking Americans pay more for everyday essentials like health care, utilities, and rent,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller.

The senators on the list are Susan Collins of Maine, Jon Husted of Ohio, and Ashley Moody of Florida, all of whom are facing competitive reelection fights this year.

End Citizens United reports that Collins has taken more than $8.3 million from corporate PACs throughout her career, much of it from the pharmaceutical and insurance industries. She also has a sizable stock portfolio and opposed a bipartisan push to ban congressional stock trading.

Collins’ stock portfolio grew by more than 77 percent in 2024. During this same period, most Mainers over 65 were spending 10 percent of their income on health care. In 2022, she voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which slashed pharmaceutical prices for seniors.

Collins also supported the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which slashed corporate tax rates, and voted to advance the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which made deep cuts to Medicaid.

Husted, who joined the Senate last year, has accepted more than $550,000 in corporate PAC money. Like Collins, much of this cash came from the insurance industry. Husted also supported the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

End Citizens United also highlights Husted’s ties to billionaire businessman Les Wexner, who was a close associate of deceased sex predator Jeffrey Epstein. Husted accepted $3,500 from Wexner in September 2025, long after Wexner’s ties to Epstein were exposed.

Two months after receiving the donation, Husted voted to block a Senate amendment that would have compelled Attorney General Pam Bondi to publicly release investigative documents related to Epstein.

“The corrupt politicians on this year’s list take money from corporate special interests and billionaires and use their power to protect those same donors as they raise prices on working families,” Muller said.

Notable congresspeople on the list include Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga, New York Rep. Mike Lawler, Pennsylvania Rep. Rob Bresnahan, and Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

Republicans Collins And Whatley Booked Big Profits From Iran War Oil Spike

Republicans Collins And Whatley Booked Big Profits From Iran War Oil Spike

Two Republicans competing in marquee Senate races appear to be financially benefiting from the war in Iran.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins and North Carolina Republican Michael Whatley have both seen their stock portfolios soar since the war began on February 28, largely because of their investments in oil and gas.

American-produced oil shot up in value after the war disrupted the global oil trade. This has led to a surge in gas prices and increased profits for some oil and gas companies.

The U.S. and Iran entered a two week ceasefire agreement on March 7, but it is unclear if the plan will stabalize the oil market.

Leo Mariana, a research analyst at Roth Capital Partners, told The Guardian that the war has been a “windfall” for energy investors.

Among those investors are Collins and her husband, who reported owning up to $115,000 in natural gas stock on her campaign finance disclosures. This includes shares of ConocoPhillips, that hit a 52-week high on March 26.

Between the start of the war and April 1, Collins profited by up to $24,480 from these investments.

Whatley also owns shares of ConocoPhillips, along with Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Devon Energy, and Shell. His total oil and gas investments are worth up to $1.39 million.

With the help of the war, Whatley has profited by up to $219,660.

Both Whatley and Collins have expressed support for the war in Iran, a stance that risks putting them out of step with most voters. A Pew Research Center survey from March found that 61 percent of voters don’t support the conflict.

Whatley’s Democratic opponent, former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, said on X that the war was “devastating” and unwise.

“Americans fear another costly, drawn-out war that puts our troops in harm’s way and removes focus and resources from needs here at home,” Cooper said. “Americans deserve to know all the long-term objectives of this war, its risks and the exit strategy.”

Collins’ Democratic opponent will be chosen in a June 9 primary.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

'Conservative'? Wisconsin Court Nominee Stumbles On Basic Constitutional History

'Conservative'? Wisconsin Court Nominee Stumbles On Basic Constitutional History

In a recent interview, Maria Lazar, a conservative candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, appeared not to know basic facts about the Dred Scott decision, one of the most pivotal rulings in the history of American jurisprudence.

Lazar currently sits on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. She is running in the April 17 election to replace retiring conservative Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley.

The Dred Scott decision was an 1857 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said the Constitution did not grant full citizenship rights to Black people. Lazar pointed to the ruling in an October 1, 2025 radio interview as an example of a case that was wrongly decided but later overturned by the court.

“Precedent doesn’t mean that you never overturn a case,” Lazar said. “I mean, there are cases, for example, Dred Scott and some other appalling cases that the U.S. Supreme Court issued that deservedly should have been overturned.”

There’s just one problem: the court never overturned the Dred Scott decision. Instead, it was effectively nullified by new amendments to the Constitution: the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, the 14th Amendment extending full citizenship rights to Black people, and the 15th Amendment prohibiting the government from infringing a citizen’s right to vote.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is currently composed of four liberals and three conservatives. The upcoming April 7 election will determine whether the liberal majority becomes more entrenched, or remains unchanged. The court will likely hear a case on congressional redistricting once the new judge is seated.

Lazar’s liberal opponent is Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor. Taylor has been endorsed by Sen. Tammy Baldwin and the AFL-CIO.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

Despite Zero Fraud, Trump's MAGA Candidates Demand End Of Mail Voting

Despite Zero Fraud, Trump's MAGA Candidates Demand End Of Mail Voting

President Donald Trump and Oregon Republican Christine Drazan have something in common: both want to curtail mail-in voting.

Drazan has served in both chambers of the Oregon state legislature and is now running in the Republican primary for governor.

Oregon is one of eight states where all voting is conducted by mail. One hundred percent of ballots cast in Oregon in 2024 were submitted via postal service or drop box. The state adopted the practice in 2000 after 70 percent of voters approved the change in a 1998 referendum.

In last month’s State of the Union address, Trump urged lawmakers to implement federal voting restrictions outlined in the SAVE Act, legislation that would eliminate most forms of mail-in voting and impose stricter ballot access requirements nationwide.

“All voters must show voter ID,” Trump said. “All voters must show proof of citizenship in order to vote. And no more crooked mail-in ballots except for illness, disability, military, or travel. None.”

Trump frequently says mail voting has led to widespread fraud in elections, but there is virtually no evidence to support these claims. A 2020 analysis by the New York Times found that states with universal vote-by-mail policies have “essentially zero fraud.”

Last year, Drazan sponsored House Bill 3872 (HB 3872), which would require most Oregonians to vote in person on Election Day. It would also require voters to present a photo ID.

Republicans in the Oregon Senate introduced an identical bill as a companion to HB 3872. The Senate bill was so unpopular that the Oregon legislative website crashed because of the volume of people logging on to express their displeasure.

Democratic state Sen. James Manning told Oregon Public Broadcasting that both legislative bills were designed to appease Trump.

“Is this an issue looking for a problem?” Manning asked. Because I don’t see it here in our state. This is something that’s a national movement to try to make something of nothing.”

Polling suggests that Trump and Drazan are out of step with what most Oregonians want. A 2018 survey by DHM Research found that 71 percent of Oregonians prefer voting by mail.

Drazan ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2022. If she secures the Republican nomination, she will face incumbent Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek in the general election.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

GOP's Senate Leadership Fund Is Bankrolled By Corporations Stoking Inflation

GOP's Senate Leadership Fund Is Bankrolled By Corporations Stoking Inflation

Senate Republicans are campaigning on affordability as they try to protect their slim majority in this year’s midterms. That strategy may be complicated by the fact that some of their biggest donors are the corporations raising prices on working Americans.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott told Fox News last December that “2026 is a year of affordability” and that President Donald Trump has delivered on lowering prices. Scott chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which is responsible for electing Republicans to the U.S. Senate.

Scott’s analysis, however, does not align with most people’s lived experiences. A Pew poll from last month found that a growing number of Americans report struggling to cover the cost of food, housing, utilities, and health care.

A variety of factors have contributed to these struggles, including Trump’s tariffs and Congress’ failure to extend Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) subsidies. But one of the biggest culprits has been corporate greed: companies hiking prices and raking in record profits as Americans spiral into debt.

One of those companies is Koch Industries, a manufacturer of fuels and construction materials that is also the second-largest privately held company in the United States. In recent years, the company has bought up fertilizer plants, making it one of just four businesses that control 75% of the fertilizer market.

Farmers have expressed concern about this growing monopoly, particularly in Iowa, where Koch Industries bought a fertilizer plant for $3.6 billion in Sept. 2024. Now, when Koch Industries lifts the price of fertilizer, many Iowa farmers have no choice but to pay it. Farmers may be forced to pass these added costs onto consumers by raising food prices.

“The deal is bad for Iowa farmers, bad for Iowa’s economy, and ultimately bad for consumers paying high food prices,” the Iowa Farmers Union said when the company announced its plan to buy the plant.

Koch Industries spent $12.75 million boosting Republican Senate candidates in the final months of 2025, primarily through PACs like Americans for Prosperity and the Senate Leadership Fund, the main group dedicated to protecting and expanding the Republican majority in the Senate.

In the same time period, the Senate Leadership Fund also received $5 million from Stephen A. Schwarzman, the CEO of the private equity behemoth Blackstone. Among its assets are several rental properties that have led to Blackstone being dubbed “the largest commercial landlord in history.”

A 2023 analysis by the Private Equity Stakeholder Project found that Blackstone often raised rents by as much as 64% after purchasing the properties. The company also buys up single-family homes that it either turns into rentals, resells at a profit, or simply holds onto as an asset. Experts say this practice has contributed to a global housing affordability crisis.

Schwarzman also contributed $5 million last year to MAGA Inc., the main PAC backing Trump’s agenda.

Smaller but still sizable donations to the Senate Leadership Fund came from Michael Smith, CEO of the natural gas company Freeport LNG, and Jeffrey Hildebrand, head of the oil driller Hilcorp. Oil companies Occidental Petroleum and Ovintiv contributed to the group as well.

Each of these companies has been blamed for rising energy prices. Freeport LNG has contributed directly to rising gas prices by shipping U.S.-produced natural gas overseas, a practice that reduces local supply and allows producers to charge Americans more for the same fuel. Hilcorp, which operates Alaska’s largest oil field, has been accused of hiking Alaskans’ gas prices unnecessarily.

In 2024, federal regulators launched an investigation into whether Occidental Petroleum and Ovintiv colluded with OPEC to raise gas prices on Americans. That investigation is officially ongoing.

Smith also contributed to a PAC supporting Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

It’s not just life essentials that are subject to greedy price hikes. Paul Singer, proprietor of the Elliott Investment Management hedge fund, gave $3.75 million to the Senate Leadership Fund. In 2024, Singer’s firm bought a multibillion-dollar stake in Southwest Airlines. The airline implemented a practice of charging customers to check bags shortly thereafter.

Singer has also donated to PACs supporting Collins and Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate candidate for Michigan.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News

Susan Collins

SAVE Act Swindle: Susan Collins Raising Money Off Election Fraud Lies

Last year, Maine voters overwhelmingly rejected a referendum that would’ve required photo ID at the polls. Now, Sen. Susan Collins is supporting a Trump-backed bill that would impose the restriction anyway.

Collins said in a fundraising email this month that she supports the SAVE Act, a bill that would require voters nationwide to present a photo ID before casting a ballot. It would also eliminate most forms of mail-in voting and require people to provide proof of citizenship when registering, such as a passport, birth certificate, or military ID.

“I announced that I will vote for the SAVE America Act because the law and the Constitution are clear: Citizens of other countries should not be voting in American elections,” the email said.

President Donald Trump used the same argument when he urged House Republicans to pass the legislation during a policy summit last month.

“Our elections are crooked as hell, and you can win—not only win elections over that and not only win future elections—but you’ll win every debate because the public is really angry about it,” the president said.

Despite Trump’s and Collins’ claims, a review by the Department of Homeland Security found that instances of noncitizen voting are close to nonexistent and have no impact on election outcomes. It is already illegal for noncitizens to register to vote or participate in most elections.

The SAVE Act passed the House with mostly Republican votes on Feb. 11. It is unlikely to reach the 60-vote threshold required in the Senate unless Republicans suspend the filibuster, which is reportedly being considered.

Collins would likely be the deciding vote if Senate Republicans tried to bypass the filibuster.

Voting rights advocates warn that the SAVE Act could jeopardize ballot access for more than 21 million Americans. Married women who have changed their names may be especially vulnerable because of mismatching details on their identifying documents.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, one of the Democrats challenging Collins in this year’s election, blasted Collins for backing the bill.

“The right to vote is the foundation of American democracy, and Maine is proud to have one of the highest voter participation rates in the nation,” Mills said on Feb. 14. “But Susan Collins is once again appeasing Republican leadership and caving to pressure by backing a dangerous Trump-backed voter suppression bill that will disenfranchise voters across Maine and America.”

Graham Platner, another Democrat challenging Collins, critiqued her as well.

“Under this terrible bill, if you get married and change your name—or if you can’t find your passport—you could be turned away from the polls,” Platner said in a video posted to Facebook.

Collins is the only Senate Republican seeking reelection in 2026 in a state that Trump didn’t win in 2024.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News