Marjorie Taylor Greene's campaign is in bad shape, but Matt Gaetz's is even worse

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Back in July, we learned that the joint promotional tour of Rep. Matt Gaetz (linked to a Florida sex trafficking operation that led to the indictment of a key ally) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (booted off all House committees by her fellow Republicans for promoting sedition-based violence) was hemorrhaging money, bringing in a mere $60,000 after spending $300,000 to get it. Now we know that it's not just their nationwide self-promotion jaunt that's bleeding money: Their overall campaigns aren't faring much better.

Could it be that while their base, the frothingest far-right of the far-right, is willing to defend sex trafficking and violent rebellion, they're not willing to put their wallets where their mouths are? Maaaaaybe.

A new Mother Jones report highlights the latest financial reports from the two campaigns, and none of it looks good. As for that joint promotional tour and PAC, Mother Jones reports that the latest filings show it to be "nearly broke," with only $13,000 left in its accounts. It probably didn't help matters that the pair found themselves regularly being thrown out of venues after event center organizers got cold feet about hosting them, either.

But it's the campaign records that are more intriguing. In Greene's case, she's still bringing in significant cash, but it's how the cash is coming in that's getting alarming. For the last three months, 70% of Greene's fundraising haul went right back out to the people and companies doing the fundraising; it appears Greene's campaign is now fully mired in the sort of sketchy high-cost, low-reward fundraising pushes that have plagued other, similarly sketchy Republican campaigns. Greene "spent more than $1 million to haul in $1.5 million," reports Mother Jones. That's big money, but it's mostly big money for the direct mail consultants and others sucking up most of the cash Greene's remaining donors are willing to contribute.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/10/18/2058641/-It-looks-like-Matt-Gaetz-and-Marjorie-Taylor-Greene-backers-are-getting-tired-of-both-of-them

[brooklynite]

1. Don't think it matters...

Both of them are in absolutely safe Republican districts. I suspect they were raising money to raise their national profiles, not to protect their House seats.

[Probatim]

2. So Greene is funneling money to her friends and colleagues under the guise of campaigning?

The article doesn't say who their direct mail consultants are, but my guess is they are closely related to the politician and money is going right back in to their pockets.

While their supporters won't mind that sort of shenanigans, the undecideds might care.

[lagomorph777]

3. Reptilian campaigns are grift machines.

They funnel money to contractor friends, who then provide kickbacks.