President Donald Trump’s “Save America PAC” Wednesday referred his email subscribers to an Aug. 23 analysis penned by Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon for an online publication called American Greatness. The new analysis piece opines on a Mark Zuckerberg-linked 501c3 that donated nearly $12 million to a Michigan nonprofit with connections to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. The money ultimately went to various local clerks to help residents vote absentee in a COVID-19 world during the November 2020 election.
Dixon’s piece is more commentary than hard news reporting. She linked directly to an April article by something called the Michigan Star, which did the original reporting on the story.
Dixon, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, is, professionally, a conservative media personality. Her writing a story alleging that “Zuckerbucks” went to encouraging voters in Democratic-heavy communities to cast their ballots early isn’t out of character.
The fact Trump is highlighting it two months after the fact is worth noting, particularly since Trump’s one-sentence post mentioned Dixon by name.
“Evidence has come to light showing millions of dollars from Silicon Valley billionaires, such as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, went to elect Democrats, including Joe Biden,” Dixon wrote. “There is perhaps no more of a smoking gun to be found than in Michigan and the evidence demands an immediate investigation by the state Legislature.”
House Republicans picked up this line of attack Tuesday in the House Elections & Ethics Committee, where three bills designed to prevent “third-party money” from being used to conduct an election was debated.
“This is a dangerous, slippery slope that needs to be stopped,” said Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport), a sponsor of one of the bills. “The best way to make sure special interests don’t influence our elections is to ban all nongovernmental third parties from gifting money or equipment for our elections.”
Outside of Pennsylvania, no state received more money from the Zuckerberg-Priscilla Chanbankrolled Center for Election Innovation and Research than Michigan’s $11.9 million.
Based on the fundraising numbers filed by the Republican gubernatorial candidates this week, one could make the case that Dixon is part of the three-horse race that is developing for the GOP nomination with James Craig and Garrett Soldano.
“I think clearly (Dixon) and Soldano are the key contenders other than Craig,” said Bill Ballenger of The Ballenger Report.
Added Steve Mitchell of Mitchell Research & Communications: “I think the most formidable opponent he (Mr. Craig) has right now is Tudor Dixon. She would be a likely opponent if for some reason Craig would have a problem.”
Ballenger is thinking along the same lines.
“If Craig falters in his campaign, if he doesn’t respond to the news media demanding for him to take positions on issues, he could be drying up in terms of fundraising and it will give people like Soldano and Tudor Dixon or may one or two of the others we haven’t even really thought of yet, a chance to get in the game.”
Having met Dixon for the first time at the recent state GOP conclave on Mackinac Island, Mitchell said, “I was very impressed. She is a formidable candidate if she can get some money and some traction. Craig is very attractive candidate, as well. The question is, how good of a campaigner is he going to be?”