Staff Reports
The mystery behind a political group’s big money attack on Susheela Jayapal, an Oregon commissioner running for Congress, has deepened. The federal filing of the group, Voters for Responsive Government, was blank, leaving voters in the dark about who is behind the $3.2 million in attack ads. This move circumvented FEC rules, as the group received all its donations against Jayapal in the last three weeks before the election, conveniently avoiding the disclosure deadline.
Democrats cheating again…
Mystery deepens after new PAC uses loopholes to hide donors in Oregon primary https://t.co/BaYq9j5Jlv via @dcexaminer
— Jeanie Gist (@FitzGistJeanie) May 21, 2024
The large sum of money from this PAC has raised concerns about dark money influencing the Oregon race. The group’s treasurer, Cary Davidson, has not responded to requests for comment, leaving many unanswered questions about the source of the funds.
The negative ads against Jayapal have falsely accused her of questionable actions, including providing drug paraphernalia to addicts. While the ads do not mention Gaza or Israel, there is speculation that Jayapal may be targeted for her and her sister’s stance on Israel. Furthermore, there are concerns that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) may be funneling money into the race through other avenues to influence the election.
The influx of out-of-state money has shifted the dynamics of the congressional race, with Jayapal no longer being the clear front-runner. There are concerns that this outside interference from big donors may be impacting the election and obscuring the transparency of the candidates’ funding sources.
Jayapal and another candidate, Eddie Morales, have called for more transparency from their opponents and their donors. They have criticized their fellow candidate Maxine Dexter and her supporters for their lack of transparency, suggesting that voters deserve to know who is trying to buy influence in the election. This situation raises questions about the integrity of the election process and the influence of outside interests in local politics.
The involvement of large, out-of-state donors in the Oregon race has led to increased scrutiny and calls for transparency from all candidates. The lack of disclosure surrounding the big money attacking Jayapal and the influence of AIPAC in the election have raised concerns about the fairness and integrity of the democratic process.
