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TED CRUZ PAYMENTS RAISE ALARM BELLS
Published Apr 02, 2024 at 5:29 AM EDT Updated Apr 03, 2024 at 10:02 AM EDT
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Ted Cruz Payments Raise Alarm Bells
By James Bickerton
US News Reporter
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Concern has been raised over iHeartMedia, the broadcaster of the Verdict With
Ted Cruz podcast, paying $630,850 to the Truth and Courage PAC which supports
the Texas Senator.
Data from the Federal Election Commission shows iHeartMedia has donated a total
of $630,850 to Truth and Courage PAC since March 2023, constituting around a
third of its revenue since the beginning of that year. Critics are calling on
Senate and federal election authorities to investigate this as a possible ethics
violation while Cruz's team has said he has done nothing wrong.
Cruz is expected to face a tough election challenge in November from Democrat
Colin Allred, a former NFL player who currently serves in the House of
Representatives. In 2018, Cruz only narrowly defeated Democratic challenger Beto
O'Rourke by less than three percent of the vote, and his seat is widely regarded
as competitive in 2024.
In 2022, iHeartMedia acquired Verdict With Ted Cruz, a podcast the Texas
Republican launched in 2020 to discuss Trump's first impeachment. Cruz's team
has said he isn't paid by iHeartMedia for hosting duties. As iHeartMedia employs
lobbyists, it would be impermissible under Senate rules for Cruz to accept gifts
except of "nominal value" from the company, especially given his position on the
Senate Commerce Committee, the Houston Chronicle reported.
A spokesperson for Cruz's 2024 re-election campaign told Newsweek: "It is always
bewildering to see the mainstream media and the Democrats coordinating lazy
attacks during an election year. Senator Cruz appears on Verdict three times a
week for free.
"He does this to pull back the veil on the corrupt inner workings of
Washington--none of which ever get fairly covered. How convenient that the
mainstream media and the cogs in the machine of the Biden-Pelosi Democrat Party
want this to stop."
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Newsweek contacted iHeartMedia for comment at 3 a.m. ET on Tuesday by email,
along with Truth and Courage PAC via messages on Facebook and Instagram. This
article will be updated if a comment is received.
Read more
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* Ted Cruz gets good news in Texas
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Rachel Nelson, who serves as iHeartMedia's vice-president of public relations,
told the newspaper that the company's payments to Truth and Courage PAC are
"associated with those advertising sales" for his podcast. "Sen. Cruz volunteers
his time to host this podcast and isn't compensated for it," she said.
In 2022, the Campaign Legal Center, which states it fights "for every American's
right to participate in the democratic process," filed a complaint with the
Senate Ethics Committee over the pro-Cruz PAC receiving payments from
iHeartMedia. This was later dismissed with the committee concluding Cruz had
abided by lobbying regulations.
However, the latest revelations about the extent of the financial relationship
between iHeartMedia and Truth and Courage PAC have sparked calls for a fresh
investigation. Shanna Ports, a senior legal counsel for the Campaign Legal
Center, said the new revelations raise "the question of whether this is an
unlawful contribution."
Ports argued Cruz could have acted illegally if he solicited donations of over
$5,000 to his PAC, which federal officeholders are prohibited from doing under
federal law.
Senator Ted Cruz on October 31, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Cruz is facing
questions over the payment of $630,850 to a PAC supporting him by the company
which hosts his podcast. Senator Ted Cruz on October 31, 2023, in Washington,
D.C. Cruz is facing questions over the payment of $630,850 to a PAC supporting
him by the company which hosts his podcast. Kevin Dietsch/GETTY
Robert Maguire, research director at the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics
watchdog, also raised concerns about Cruz's relationship with iHeartMedia.
He said: "Volunteering generally means you're doing something expecting no
personal benefit, but Cruz here is clearly benefiting from the ad revenue that
is being generated by his iHeartMedia show."
Speaking to The Houston Chronicle, a spokesperson for Cruz said the senator
"appears on Verdict three times a week for free."
"He does this to pull back the veil on the corrupt inner workings of Washington
none of which ever get fairly covered. How convenient that the mainstream media
and the cogs in the machine of the Biden-Pelosi Democrat Party want this to
stop."
A recent Marist poll of 1,227 Texas adults put Cruz ahead of Allred by 51
percent to 45 percent, with 53 percent of those surveyed saying they'd never
heard of the Democratic challenger.
Update 03/04/24, 9:55 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with comment from a
Ted Cruz campaign spokesperson.
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in the search for common ground.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
James Bickerton
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James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus
is covering U.S. politics and world politics. He has covered the intersection
between politics and emerging technology, such as artificial intelligence. James
joined Newsweek in July 2022 from LBC, and previously worked for the Daily
Express. He is a graduate of Oxford University. Languages: English. Twitter:
@JBickertonUK.
You can get in touch with James by emailing j.bickerton@newsweek.com
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus
is covering U.S. politics and world ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
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