Dem in Maine House Primary Funneled PAC Money to Republicans
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The Bottom Line
A Democratic congressional candidate used his PAC to donate $75,000 to Republican campaigns.
AI Summary
Jordan Wood, a Democratic candidate for Maine's 2nd Congressional District, oversaw democracyFirst PAC that donated $75,000 to Republican candidates including Sen. John Curtis, Rep. Don Bacon, and Rep. David Valadao during the 2024 election cycle. Wood defended the donations as a strategy to defeat "Trump-aligned candidates who were trying to seize control of America's election infrastructure," saying the PAC supported Republicans in primaries against election deniers. The revelations have drawn criticism from Maine state Rep. Amy Roeder, who called the donations "pretty troubling," as Wood competes against State Auditor Matt Dunlap and state Sen. Joe Baldacci for the Democratic nomination. Wood is also facing scrutiny for his PAC's $500,000 in payments to Mothership Strategies, a controversial fundraising firm run by his husband. The Democratic primary winner will likely face former Maine Gov. Paul LePage, who won the district by 9 percentage points in 2024.
What's Being Done
The candidate is facing criticism from state Rep. Amy Roeder and scrutiny over $500,000 in PAC payments to his husband's fundraising firm.
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