Democrat Donors Rush Cash to Cornyn After Trump Backs Paxton
Trump endorsed Ken Paxton for Texas Senate over incumbent John Cornyn, who continues his reelection campaign while receiving donations from Democratic-aligned donors and Trump critics.
Trump made his preference clear in a Truth Social post, stating that Ken Paxton has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next United States Senator from the Great State of Texas. The president characterized Paxton as a “true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas,” yet Cornyn has vowed to press forward with his reelection bid despite the presidential endorsement of his challenger.
Among the contributors backing Cornyn following Trump’s endorsement is Josh Fish, chairman and CEO of Suffolk Construction in Boston. Fish donated $3,500 to Cornyn’s campaign. In 2018, federal election officials fined Suffolk Construction $34,000—described as “precedent-setting”—after determining the company had unlawfully channeled hundreds of thousands of dollars to a pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC while simultaneously holding a million-dollar government contract.
Jason Rhodes, an Atlas Venture employee, contributed $1,000 to Cornyn’s campaign. Records show Rhodes has donated approximately $15,000 to Senator Bill Cassidy’s leadership fund and $7,000 to Cassidy’s campaign, alongside contributions to numerous Democratic candidates this cycle. Most significantly, Rhodes has also funded the Never Trump Lincoln Project—the anti-Trump organization founded by disaffected Republicans. Cassidy notably voted to impeach Trump during the second impeachment proceedings, joining seven other Senate Republicans in conviction.
The donor base also includes supporters of prominent Democratic figures. Among those receiving Rhodes’ contributions are Representative Colin Allred of Texas, Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, and Representative Abigail Spanberger of Virginia—all Democrats running or serving in competitive races.
Greg Keller, spokesman for the Lone Star Liberty PAC, reacted sharply to Cornyn’s post-endorsement fundraising. According to Breitbart News, Keller stated that Cornyn had reverted to the John Cornyn we all know him to be: taking money from Democrats and the liberal coasts. Keller added that Cornyn accepted contributions from Lincoln Project donors, characterizing the senator as a “RINO who sold Texans out on a border wall and on the 2nd Amendment.”
“The only surprise is it took this long; Texas Republicans should not be fooled,” Keller remarked, noting the speed with which such donations materialized following Trump’s endorsement of Paxton.
A spokesperson for Cornyn’s campaign countered by asserting that Paxton benefits from substantial funding derived from left-wing trial lawyers, shifting focus to his opponent’s financial backing.
With information from Breitbart News
