Sep 29, 2017
The Arizona Republic reported a bold move by the Congressional Leadership Fund, Paul Ryan’s SuperPAC, to open a field office in Tucson. The strategy of the SuperPAC’s Executive Director, Cory Bliss, is to canvass in Tucson in order to help Martha McSally in the most populous city in her District. Cory Bliss has had a great deal of success in special elections in several states where empty seats were left by Trump’s cabinet, as reported by Forbes Magazine. You can read about Cory Bliss here.
What is the Congressional Leadership Fund and their affiliated Non-Pro
fit, American Action Network?
The American Action Network is a non-profit that does not have to disclose it’s donors. The Congressional Leadership Fund shares the same Board and Executive Director. SuperPACs cannot spend money on actual campaigns, they tend to use their millions on advertising attacking the opponents of the candidates they support. CLF spent $632,000 in attack ads against McSally’s opponent, Dr. Matt Heinz, in 2016.
Here is a chart reflecting the flow of money in the special elections in Montana and Georgia, according to CampaignLegalCenter.org
Who are the donors?
Here is a list of their donors.
1. McSally is in trouble. The SuperPAC wouldn’t be spending money this early if the healthcare vote didn’t hurt her.
2. McSally’s healthcare vote was bought and paid for by billionaires from outside our District. She promised to be an independent voice in Congress during her 2016 campaign, but it looks like billionaires got her tongue.
3. The presence of a field office in Tucson, whose volunteers will canvass door to door is ironic given her distaste for speaking to her constituents. In other words, Paul Ryan’s SuperPAC is funding McSally’s constituent engagement.