GOP Senator Took Tens of Thousands Of Donation Dollars From Arizona Fake Electors: Report
Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R), who endeavored to have the 2020 election overturned in favor of Donald Trump, received campaign donations in the tens of thousands of dollars, from three Arizona fake electors, according to a report in The Salt Lake Tribune.
Reporter Bryan Schott wrote about the new revelation in Tuesday’s paper, and named the Lee donors who signed documents falsely claiming Trump won the 2020 election in the Grand Canyon State:
James Lamon, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, donated $8,700 to Lee’s campaign in January and March of 2021. Lamon is the former CEO of DEPCOM, a solar power company. Lamon also donated $15,000 to Lee’s leadership political action committee in January 2022.
Arizona state legislator Jake Hoffman contributed $1,200 to Lee in June 2021. Hoffman gained attention ahead of the 2020 election when Facebook banned his digital marketing firm for running a “troll farm” on behalf of the conservative advocacy group Turning Point Action, the political arm of Turning Point USA. Hoffman’s company’s effort was described as “among the most ambitious domestic influence campaigns” uncovered during the 2020 election.
Lee also received a $1,000 donation from Tyler Bowyer, the chief operating officer of Turning Point USA, that same month.
According to The House January 6 Committee report, Lee “spent a month encouraging the idea of having state legislators endorse competing efforts for Trump.” He claimed in text messages to then Chief of Staff Mark Meadows that he was “spending 14 hours a day” contacting state legislators about the plan to overturn the election, Schott reported.
Lee has spent the past several days pushing a Jan. 6 theory about recently-released footage of the riot at the U.S. Capitol. He retweeted a post by Derrick Evans (R), a former West Virginia lawmaker who pleaded guilty to a felony civil disorder charge for his part in the riot.
Evans’ post featured a photo of a rioter inside the Capitol holding what MAGA supporters claimed was a badge, but turned out to be a vape.
“Is this person flashing a badge? If so, this would prove there were undercover federal agents disguised as MAGA,” Evans tweeted.
Lee responded, “I can’t wait to ask FBI Director Christopher Wray about this at our next oversight hearing. I predict that, as always, his answers will be 97% information-free.”
Lee’s assertion was quickly debunked by reporters and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who tweeted, “You’re a lawyer, Mike. You’re capable of understanding the scores of J6 verdicts & rulings in our federal courts. You didn’t object to electors on J6 because you knew what Trump was doing was unconstitutional & you know what you’re doing now is wrong.”
Lee did not respond to the Tribune report about the Arizona fake elector donations.
Read The Salt Lake Tribune story here.
