Sen. Lisa Murkowski is benefiting from massive contributions via Lower-48 billionaires who hope to influence Alaskans into voting for the 21-year incumbent this November.
Multi-national hedge fund tycoon Ken Griffin is one of several wealthy individuals who, together, have given millions to aid Murkowski’s attempt to ward off a strong challenge by the hard-charging, Trump-backed conservative Republican candidate Kelly Tshibaka.
Griffin has dumped $1.5 million into the Alaskans for L.I.S.A. super PAC, which can accumulate unlimited contributions from wealthy individuals from outside Alaska. Founded by previous Murkowski staffers the PAC is dedicated exclusively to reelecting the longtime senator using money primarily raised from non-Alaska entities. The group’s tactics were recently exposed in a Project Veritas Action undercover video released earlier this month.
The L.I.S.A group has already spent just over $3 million and still has more than $1 million on hand, according to the latest FEC report.
Other contributors to Murkowski’s reelection effort include two hedge funders, Louis Bacon and John Arnold. They gave $500,000 and $50,000, respectively. Meanwhile, James and Kathryn Murdoch, of the global Murdoch media empire, gave $250,000 each.
Combined, outside billionaires have poured in roughly $3 million to Alaskans for L.I.S.A., which has used the money to run attack ads against Tshibaka who is attempting to unseat Murkowski and effectively end the Murkowski family’s four-decades-long grip on the U.S. Senate seat.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
Frank Murkowski held the seat for 21 years before stepping down in 2002 to run for governor and appointing his daughter Lisa to replace him in the Senate.
Since then, Lisa Murkowski has shifted considerably toward the Democratic side of the isle, regularly breaking with fellow Republicans in supporting abortion, defending Obama Care, voting to impeach President Trump, opposing conservative Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and backing many of President Biden’s controversial cabinet members, including Interior Secretary Deb Holland, who has proven to be hostile to natural resource development in Alaska.
Despite drifting from her Republican colleagues, Murkowski enjoys a large financial advantage over Tshibaka. According to the most recent campaign reports, Murkowski has $5.3 million on hand.
Tshibaka, has $808,000 on hand, but is officially supported by the Alaska Republican Party, which has formerly broken ties with Murkowski over her voting record.
19 Comments
Sway to cheet Lisa, can’t win on your own so find anyway you can to buy tge seat. What has happened to our country? Why do we have to buy seats ? Why can’t we vote for tge person who will do the job we want to see done?
Neil: Its usually a dodge to say “both sides do it”, but true this time. America needs to eliminate private campaign donations and PACs.
How it SHOULD be. If you can’t vote for the individual, you can’t donate to their campaign, whether PAC or directly.
Wow, I, partially, agree with you Gunter! I believe only the constituents of whatever office is being votes for should be able to contribute towards a candidate’s campaign, and that should be limited as it is now. How is it that I, a constituent, can only contribute $2900 per campaign, but someone who doesn’t even live in Alaska cabln contribute millions? Time for we peasants to take back control of our state and country with fair elections and term limits.
Well… Gunter.. I have found something that we agree on… It is a problem that goes back to before my time began on this Earth, and it has become even more organized.. Kinda like “organized crime”.
What happened to the “dark money” and outside money part of Proposition 2??? If one part of the proposition is null and void, why are we still saddled with rank choice voting? State Election Office–what say you?
Why isnt the Ak Repunlican party ACTIVELY lobbying agains Lisa? She was censured right? What can they do that they are not doing? Honest question
The Republican Party is now chaired by Ann Brown who is a college buddy of Lisa and a friend of the family of Murkowski’s. She manages to deflect the problems Lisa Murkowski has with the Republican Party, and in the April meeting in Fairbanks this year gave Lisa Murkowski several million for her campaign, which she negotiated with the National Republican Party. Makes you sick? I sure think that needs to stop completely. Lisa now refuses to rid her ties to the Republican party and its infuriating to many members, to see her rewarded with a few million campaign dollars when they have sponsored Kelly Tshibaka. The Republican Party of Alaska needs to ask for every penny back that was contributed to Lisa Murkowski over the years as a penalty for the work she did in the past for the Democrats and the work she is still doing for them. Where are the oil companies in this problem? They too contributed “big bucks” and get slapped in the face by Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska GOP and Sen Dan Sullivan. Lisa Murkowski pulls every dirty trick she can against an opponent. Believe one thing, it won’t stop and she will find a partner in crime against an opponent to help her do so as she did with Tuckerman Babcock against Joe Miller when they lied and filed false charges against Joe Miller with the FEC. Tuckerman Babcock and Lisa Murkowski were penalized by the FEC but you will never know because she managed to cover it up. Why wasn’t this brought out of the Republican Party in Alaska? Because she has a good friend in Ann Brown, Chairwoman of the Alaska GOP. You can take this answer to the bank….
Quit giving your hard earned money the the Republican party. Give it to the campaign of your choosing. You’re pretty naive to hand your donation over to a Republican PARTY committee.
Thank you for that information, it now explains a lot to me, in light of the facts coming out that Murkowski secretly supporting RCV. About a week and a half ago, I sent Anne an email with questions about the constitutionality of RCV and have not received a response. I must have sent this question to the wrong person, to get it addressed. I’ll post most of it below this, maybe I can get some responses here, and raise questions?
“The reason for this email is I have a question about the constitutionality of the rank choice voting, I know it was contested in court, but I don’t know if it was contested based on this issue, or if anyone has considered this. I feel that rank choice voting is unconstitutional because it doesn’t treat all voters equally, and because of the 14th amendment all voters are supposed to be treated equally. Under the RCV, some voters get to vote more times than other voters, that is if they vote for the candidates that are obvious losers, they then get to vote for a second choice, and third choice, while the voters who voted for the top two candidates only get to vote once, so this isn’t fair to them. If RCV was fair and equal, if one of the candidates didn’t get 50% plus 1 vote in the first round, then ALL the second choices should be counted, and after that, ALL of the third choice, that way all the voters are treated equal and get to vote.
The way RCV is set up now, the LOSERS get to pick the winner! This is unfair, being that those who voted for the least popular or most extreme candidates, depending on your view of this issue, then get their second, third and 4th choice votes counted, while those in the mainstream voting for the two most popular candidates don’t get any more votes! This is extremely unfair to the vast majority of the voters who select the two main candidates but get no further input!”
Ann Brown needs to be removed as chairperson of the Alaskan GOP immediately! Her behavior is disgusting!!!
Indeed! Where is a loud strong voice from so called Republican, Senator Dan Sullivan?
The Republican Party has been weak when they should be aggressively publicly helping the Republican candidates here in the Interior.
This article does not reveal the crooked reelection of Murkowsk here in Fairbanksi. She lost the primary to Joe Miller. So she was helped to do a write in campaign and to help everyone spell her name correctly, her name was on a sign at every voting location here and probably the native locations. It is illegal to have campaigning within a specific distance from the polling place. Her signs were on the walls at the polling places to help voters spell her name correctly for the write-in. This illegal action was reported to election headquarters but nothing was done about it. The Murkowski “dynasty” was still influencing the Republican party…
When Murkowski was censured it was not well published but should have been.
And what do these rich donors expect from Lisa? She doesn’t agree with any issue I’ve ever written to her about, probably because I can’t/don’t donate to her any more. She is a crooked woman that doesn’t true give a damn about this state of country. Lisa is all about Lisa.
Yes. This pro family, pro Constitution patriot has been sending e-letters to this horrible person for years. She, and or her ‘minions’ never reply. My question to all ‘aging’ sell outs “it is appointed at once for man to die and then the judgement. But Remember Karl Marx said in Pale Maiden ‘ I knew, or know God, but I chose Satan. Free will.
People / organzations should NOT be allowed to influence political races in diestrict in which they do not reside.
At a minimum, they should not be allowed donate huge sums of money, and should suffer the same restrictions on amounts the locals suffer.
If Lisa Murkowski wants to rely so heavily upon “OUTSIDE” big money, then she should renounce her Alaska residency, — and move to the Lower 48. There is where her true loyalty lies. Strings are always attached to wealthy political donations — for which usually never serves the best interests of Alaskans. She is well known for totally ignoring the desires of her supposed constituents.
Leave the party. Dont give them any support. Its past time to dump this band of fools. Support for Lisa flies in the face of the party platform. Liars and hypocrites. Thats the reality.