Posted on 04/21/2016 10:01:49 AM PDT by conservativejoy
Tea Party Patriots President Jenny Beth Martin blasted Donald Trump on Thursday, following reports that the Republican presidential front-runner is being advised by several Washington lobbyists.
According to Politico, Trump's recently hired top campaign strategist, Paul Manafort, has introduced several of his lobbyist friends to the campaign to help guide Trump to the general election with a better organization and delegate operation.
"Among the influence industry veterans who have been helping the campaign in recent weeks, according to sources close to the Trump campaign, are Laurance Gay, who had worked with Manafort on an effort to obtain a federal grant that one congressman called a 'very smelly, sleazy business,' and Doug Davenport, whose firm's lobbying for an oppressive Southeast Asian regime became a liability for John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign," Politico reported Thursday.
In a statement released Thursday morning, Martin claimed Trump's embrace of lobbyists renders him "a complete hypocrite," considering his opposition to special interest groups has become a focal point of his campaign.
"Double Dealin' Donald Trump has revealed himself as a complete hypocrite who wants to make Washington lobbyists great again," Martin said. "He presents himself as an outsider and has said 'I don't want lobbyists. I don't want special interests,' but now — when threatened by the growing momentum of the Cruz campaign — he has done a complete 180, sucking up to long time Washington lobbyists and entrusting them with his campaign."
Martin continued, "First, [Trump] hired super lobbyist Paul Manafort to run his delegate operation and then turned over the entire campaign to him. Manafort ran the Republican convention for Bob Dole 20 years ago! Are you serious? Bob Dole?"
"Now we learn Manafort has been stacking the Trump campaign with fellow D.C. influence peddlers who have represented hedge funds, worked to obtain 'federal grants' for special interests and advised dictators," she said, adding that "this is just more proof that Double Dealin' Donald Trump is little more than a hypocritical panderer who will say and do anything to get elected."
As recently as Wednesday, Trump assured voters during a campaign rally in Indiana that he is self-funding his own campaign and will not be influenced by lobbyists or special interest groups if he's elected president.
A spokeswoman for the billionaire's campaign did not return the Washington Examiner's request for comment.
The Tea Party has no leaders.
Those who stand and proclaim themselves such are phonies.
The Tea Party that endorsed Cruz? Screw them!
Old $400,000 a year Jenny Beth is at it again?
On the other hand, Trump’s staff is growing as he hires more and more help as his success gets huge.
Tea Party loser is jealous, nobody is hiring her.
Deflection still doesn’t address Trump hiring lobbyists.
You’re right; whole lotta deflection going on!
The very LAST person anybody should be listening to is Jenny Beth Martin.
All of you out there with conservative values take about 15 minutes and Bing and Google this person who is the head of Tea Party Patriots. Look at all of it. Then you’ll see what I mean.
Or, go ask Dave Brat who beat Eric Cantor out of his seat.
I’d say something like “trolling in a trailer park with $100 bill” like old snake head “Carville” used to say for Hillary to the Bimbo Eruptions, but I won’t.
Nothing she has to say about anything is credible in my opinion. It’s about the money.
[The Tea Party has no leaders.
Those who stand and proclaim themselves such are phonies.]
Exactly. As a member I can vouch for that.
[The Tea Party has no leaders.
Those who stand and proclaim themselves such are phonies.]
Exactly. As a member I can vouch for that.
They complain that Trump doesn’t understand the ground game and so he is useless. Then when he hires someone who understands the ground game, they complain he is completely useless.
And we wonder why the GOPe always win
I logged into this thread to point that out and find a choir.
I find it interesting that so many would condemn Trump for beginning to play the DC game while simultaneously laughing at him for lacking the DC game when it comes to delegate wrangling.
It is not necessary to hire D.C. lobbyists to have a ground game for delegates. This is what happens when you hire thugs to run your campaign. Trump can no longer spout off that he is not in bed with lobbyists.
The fact still remains that Trump and Manafort are hiring lobbyists.
Hmmm. Not a word about Cruz taking on the Bush cabal! What a joke!
Who?
Laurence Gay and Doug Davenport to name two. Davenport is a lobbyist for a Southeast Asian regime and Gay has worked with Manafort before on some sleazy stuff.
Pray tell. Are you telling me that you “endorse” anything that Jenny Beth Martin has to say?
Did you even research what she’s all about?
I believe that Trump’s claims about “not being in bed” with lobbyists are based on the lack of lobbyists’ money funding his campaign. Your outrage is supercilious.
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