Democratic U.S. Rep Jared Golden (ME-02) has recently taken thousands of dollars from corporate Political Action Committees (PACs) and other fundraising vehicles aligned with corporate interests, according to his most recent campaign finance filings.
The influx of corporate PAC dollars runs contrary to Rep. Golden’s much-publicized philosophy in previous campaigns, where the Democratic incumbent has boasted of relying on Maine-based donors rather than money from interest groups.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings from the Committee to Elect Jared Golden, Golden’s primary campaign fundraising committee, show that between May 23 and June 30, Golden accepted well over $15,000 from corporate PACs.
These corporate contributions include thousands from large sugar corporations, agriculture concerns, petroleum companies, and other PACs that are funded by major corporations or ideological interest groups.
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These revelations are in direct contradiction to a statement on Jared Golden’s campaign website, claiming that during his time in Congress, Golden has “Walked the talk by refusing to accept donations from corporate PACs.”
Golden’s campaign has also asserted several times in fundraising emails that he does not take money from corporate PACs, including the email below, dated July 11.
The more blatantly obvious examples of the contradiction can be seen in the donations Golden received this past fundraising quarter from corporate PACs associated with the sugar and agriculture industries.
On Tuesday, Republican operatives circulated memos highlighting the otherwise unpublicized shift in the Golden campaign’s practice of refusing corporate donations.
Last quarter, Golden received $1,500 from the Amalgamated Sugar Company PAC, an aggregated $10,000 from the American Crystal Sugar Company PAC, $2,500 from the National Cotton Council of America’s Committee for the Advancement of Cotton, and $1,000 from both the Western Sugar Cooperative PAC and the Florida Sugar Cane League PAC, respectively.
Ironically, Golden serves on the House Small Business Committee, but the sugar industry is one of the most consolidated industries in the U.S., with a handful of multibillion-dollar corporations controlling sugar production and sales.
Cotton and sugar have also not historically been big industries in Maine’s Second Congressional District.
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Golden also accepted $3,500 from the American Petroleum Institute PAC — the largest oil and gas industry PAC — which stands at odds with his progressive messaging on climate change and the environment.
According to Golden’s congressional website, he believes that climate change — driven by greenhouse gas emissions — is “the greatest environmental challenge of our time” and “a serious national security threat.” His website claims that he voted for the controversial “Inflation Reduction Act” in part to put “non-fossil fuel alternatives in the reach of the majority of Americans and not just the wealthy elite.”
Despite these concessions to the “green energy” movement, Golden has backed several priorities of the American Petroleum Institute, including reversing Biden’s attempt to pause American natural gas exports and opening more federal lands to oil and natural gas exploration.
While Golden has faced fierce criticism from within his own party over his support for his continued support for Israel, FEC filings show that Golden took just over $90,000 from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) last quarter.
Other corporate contributions to Golden’s campaign are less obvious, such as $4,000 from the American Innovation PAC, which itself is funded by corporations including Home Depot, Target, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, and others.
Also in this category of more veiled corporate donations is the Blue Dog PAC, which supports “moderate” members of Congress and is associated with the Blue Dog Coalition, of which Golden is co-chair.
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After Maine’s June 11 primary election, Blue Dog PAC attacked Republican CD-2 candidate and State Rep. Austin Theriault (R-Fort Kent), Golden’s opponent in this November’s general election, for “[spending] his whole life listening to corporate sponsors.”
Ironically, over the past year, Blue Dog PAC itself has accepted tens of thousands of dollars in corporate money, including from PACs aligned with Boeing, Walmart, Avangrid (the parent company of Central Maine Power), Dell, Morgan Stanley, Pfizer, Deloitte, and many other well known corporations.
Golden, looking to be reelected to his fourth term in the House to represent a district that in 2016 and 2020 went for former Republican President Donald Trump, raised about double his opponent, State Rep. Austin Theriault (R-Fort Kent) in the last quarter.
From May 23 to June 30, Golden’s campaign raised about $1,050,000, finishing the quarter with nearly $3.3 million on hand, while Theriault’s campaign received about $550,000, with nearly $900,000 cash on hand.
Golden is expected to be in a more vulnerable electoral position this year than in previous cycles, with incumbent Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden floundering at the top of the ticket after a disastrous first debate against Trump.
After appearing to show signs of serious cognitive decline during and after the debate, Biden faced an unprecedented revolt from members of his own party and the Democratic donor class. Golden attempted to navigate that debate by penning an op-ed for a Bangor newspaper conceding that Trump would win the presidential election in November, but the Democrat claimed he still didn’t know how he would cast his personal vote.
Trump, who has previously endorsed Theriault, has emerged from a failed assassination attempt on Saturday with surging popularity and increasing support from independent and moderate voters, as well as traditionally non-political wealthy American businessmen, including Elon Musk.
Election forecaster the Cook Political Report moved Maine’s 2024 2nd District race to a “Democrat Toss Up” designation in Nov. 2023 following Golden’s flip-flop on an assault weapons ban in the aftermath of the Oct. 25 mass shooting in Lewiston, an about-face that brought on heavy criticism from his Republican opponent.
Cook has yet to update its forecast in light of the recent, massive shifts in national American politics brought about by Biden’s debate performance and Trump’s harrowing assassination attempt.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="29402 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=29402">6 Comments
Bellows smiles like she’s happily peeing her pants.
What a moronic woman.
Golden is finished!
Sucking up to Joementia Brainfart has consequences!
YOU’RE DONE!
Great picture, to show the direction of Maine
Maine must vote out all of the democrats, while we still have a state to save,…..
Vote Republican to save Maine and the country!
Great picture .
Two of the biggest disappointments in Maine .
Get them outta here ……
Vote to banish democrats in November 2024 .
These two are especially disgusting .