One Of These Things Is Exactly Like The Other
Remember a while back when I mentioned Alfredo’s note about Podcaster Ted Cruz? Well, it gets better (or worse, depending on your point of view).
When we left off, I mentioned how iHeartMedia sent $214,752.98 to Cruz’s SuperPAC, Truth and Courage PAC last February, and how it was the senator’s cut from advertising during their airing of his 3-per-week podcasts. Well, things got said and all of a sudden iHeartMedia has assured the complaining watchdog group, The Campaign Legal Center, that this money has absolutely nothing to do with the media group’s business relationship with Ted Cruz or with his “Verdict With Ted Cruz” podcast.
But as mentioned in this online radio news source, Inside Radio, iHeartMedia has denied that this is “digital revenue,” explaining that this was a simple contribution to the PAC.
There was no Quid, no Pro, and no frickkin’ Quo.
My question is simple: couldn’t they have rounded the donation up to $215,000? And what’s with the 98 cents?
The CLC’s question is perhaps a little more to the point: how is this contribution to the Super PAC in any way legal because iHeartMedia is a federal contractor? According to the Federal Election Act of 1971, a federal contractor is barred from making contributions to SuperPACs.
So it’s not compensation for Cruz, because Cruz donates his time. On the other hand, the donation is illegal because federal contractors cannot make them.
And this is year 2 of the arrangement. In 2023, iHeartMedia “donated” $630,850 American to Cruz’s PAC that Ted Cruz also did not solicit.
Well, that’s good. $5,000 is the contribution limit for solicited donations. Good thing he didn’t ask for it, or he’d be in REAL trouble – like iHeartMedia appears to be in now.