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Krysten Sinema Leaves Democratic Party

"Since 2021, Respondents have disbursed more than $20,000 in funds of the Committees on at least two trips to Europe, including Expenditures at high-end restaurants and luxury Parisian hotels."

Senator Sinema traveled with family and friends, bolstering the likelihood that her travel was undertaken for personal benefit. She was photographed in October 2022 shopping in Paris with her partner Lindsey Buckman 30 and her friends then-Representative Stephanie Murphy and then-Representative Kathleen Rice. The photograph, which was posted by the “serpentine_jewels” Instagram account, shows the parties posing on the street in front of a store, and the caption reads, “We met on the street and bonded over fashion. Cut to the next day—we ran into each other at a vintage store across town. Turns out a few of these fashion lovers are members of US Congress and knew about Serpentine Jewels!” 31 The clear implication is that Senator Sinema and her friends spent at least two days of leisure time shopping and exploring together in Paris.

Murphy and Rice concurrently reported spending campaign funds at the same hotel (the Le Roch Hotel and Spa) as the Respondents, but they did not show any fundraising activity—and in fact, both had previously announced their retirements from Congress and were not active candidates for any other office. This suggests that their campaign-funded travel was recreational, and potentially actionable as a conversion of funds 32—and giving further credence to the premise that Senator Sinema, too, was enjoying a leisurely vacation during the time she spent with them. 33

About two months after the 2022 European trip, Murphy and Rice stated in an interview that they, along with Senator Sinema, “bought matching diamond-adorned thorn-shaped necklaces.” 34 As the three were shopping together in Paris shortly before, it is possible that they purchased these necklaces as part of a recreational excursion paid for by campaign funds.
That's clearly a leisure trip, and not a trip for any official business or fundraising.
 
"Respondents Disbursed Over $370,000 in Campaign Funds to Senator Sinema’s Friend Tulsi Gabbard’s Sister, Vrindavan Gabbard Bellord, and Subsidizes Her Extensive Recreational Travel"

Notably, Senator Sinema’s campaign expenditures on security far surpass that of all other members of Congress save for Senator Raphael Warnock, who has had to compete in four general elections since 2020. And typically those candidates that have spent significantly on security have made much smaller payments to individuals—for instance, former law enforcement officers—and not lump-sum payments to a single firm. Other candidates also typically do not make separate payments for travel and meal expenses for “security detail.” 41 Senator Sinema’s security expenses raise additional questions, since she has not hosted major rallies, public town hall meetings with constituents, or the types of large public events that typically generate high security costs during the years in question.
There is an additional problem not addressed in the complaint. Has KS been targeted very much? A Congressmember who has been targeted a lot is Ilhan Omar, and she is rather obviously a villain to many right-wingers. But who might consider KS a big villain?

That aside, why might KS pay big money to TG's sister? As money laundering for sending money to TG?

Finally, "COUNT II: The Committees Filed Knowingly False Disclosure Reports with the Federal Election Commission"
 
Congratulations to the second vegan elected to the United States Senate: Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona!! : vegan from 2018

Kyrsten Sinema Vegan 20 Jan 2006 - Newspapers.com
"You asked the right question," she said. "I am a vegetarian. A vegan, in fact."

Not sure if that reference was metaphorical, however, like the reference's context, seemingly a reference to excessive government spending.
Kyrsten Sinema on Twitter: "Bill Clinton's gone vegan. Welcome, Bill! (link)" / Twitter

Noting
Bill Clinton Loses 24 Pounds, Starts Vegan Revolution - GOOD - "Bill Clinton talks about his new (mostly) vegan diet-why he did it, and why you should too."
 
Kari Lake to meet with senators as she inches closer to Senate bid - POLITICO - 05/09/2023 04:51 PM EDT
Arizona Republican Kari Lake, the outspoken Donald Trump supporter eyeing a run for the Senate, is planning to meet with at least a half-dozen U.S. senators and officials from the Senate GOP’s campaign arm this week in Washington, D.C.

The Thursday visit, confirmed by a spokesperson for Lake, is the latest in a series of recent signs that the conservative firebrand is inching closer toward a Senate bid. It also will mark the second time this year that she has sat down with staff from the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

...
Lake would likely galvanize Trump supporters to the point that many Republicans think she would be all but impossible to defeat in a primary. But GOP strategists are concerned that Lake would turn off swing voters in the general election, particularly after she contested her loss in the gubernatorial contest in 2022.
That will be fun - winning the primary and losing in the general election.
 
'Sinema sold out': Watch Arizona voters torch senator as she faces 'political gamble' of re-election - Raw Story - Celebrating 19 Years of Independent Journalism
noting
Arizona voters slam Kyrsten Sinema as she weighs reelection bid | CNN Politics
"Registered voters in this battleground state are split nearly evenly between Democrats, Republicans, and Independents," the commentator said. "The Democratic base says they feel betrayed, accusing Sinema of listening to donors instead of voters."
Rep. Ruben Gallego is running for the Democratic nomination.
"She broke trust with a lot of the people of Arizona," Gallego said. "They don't trust her values anymore and she's not trying to repair that relationship."
'She did nothing': Ruben Gallego blasts Kyrsten Sinema for letting fellow Democrats down in the midterms - Alternet.org
On November 13, Gallego (who was reelected in the midterms) tweeted, “We fought as a team in Arizona and we won. Senator Sinema was nowhere to be found, at all. We did not see her at one public event for anybody… she did nothing. Because she only cares about herself.”

On November 9, Sinema tweeted, “Every vote counted, every voice heard. That’s how our democracy works. It may take some time for the results to be finalized, so in the meantime, let’s stay patient. Democracy is always worth the wait.” And Gallego sarcastically responded, “Thanks for all your help this year.”
 
'Red flags': Tulsi Gabbard’s sister has played a key role in Kyrsten Sinema’s costly security arrangement - Alternet.org

'Broken': Kyrsten Sinema confirms she 'absolutely' will not join the GOP - Alternet.org
According to NBC, when host Margaret Brennan asked the Arizona leader whether she'd consider becoming Republican, Sinema referred to both parties as "broken," noting, "You don't go from one broken party to another."

Therefore, the senator concluded she is will "absolutely" not associate with either one.

During the same interview, the Sinema again criticized both parties "accusing them of playing games with the nation's debt ceiling" adding "the votes don't exist" in either chamber of Congress.

When Brennan asked what she believe a debt ceiling deal "looks like," Sinema said, "Both parties are talking without listening to each other. They're just talking right past each other," before later adding, "Both parties have played this game for years and so we're in a situation where one party is saying they will not negotiate at all with the other party. I think that's a very dangerous place to be, cause one, it's not realistic and two, that is not going, it's just not going to happen."
Saying that both sides are bad without giving any specifics.
 
She has mocked her Democratic colleagues as "old dudes eating Jello", but has she ever said anything comparable about Republicans?

'Polarizing' Kari Lake could be a major headache for GOP strategists in 2024: conservative - Alternet.org
Like her political mentor Donald Trump, far-right Republican Kari Lake has been an incredibly divisive figure in U.S. politics.

The conspiracy theorist and former television reporter, who Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs defeated in 2022, is popular with Trump's hardcore MAGA base. But a combination of liberals, progressives, Democrats and Never Trump conservatives view her as a dangerous extremist. When Lake lost Arizona's gubernatorial race last year, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) and activist Meghan McCain were among the well-known conservatives who were glad to see her defeated.
 
Sinema outraised by Gallego again, further clouding her future - POLITICO - "Two key Senators who haven’t announced reelection plans leave questions about their future unanswered."

Over Apr 1 - Jun 30, Kyrsten Sinema raised $1.7 M, < $200: $9 K, while Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) raised $3.1 M, < $200: $1.7 M

From SINEMA, KYRSTEN - Candidate overview | FEC she raised $3.8 M
By size: $22 K, ($200), $72 K ($500), $85 K ($1000), $307 K, ($2000), $1.4 M
First quarter: $2.1 M, <$200: $13 K

From GALLEGO, RUBEN - Candidate overview | FEC he raised $6.9 M
By size: $3.8 M, ($200) $180 K, ($500), $194 K, ($1000) $319 K, ($2000), $755 K
First quarter: #3.8 M, <$200: $2.1 M

So KS's donations are nearly all large ones, while RG's ones are over half < $200.

Sinema has been quiet about her intentions. Her candidacy would split the field into an unpredictable three-way race. If she siphons away too many voters from the Democratic nominee, she could boost Republicans’ odds to flip the seat.

...
Sinema remains reliant on corporate PACs to fill her coffers and notably did not receive any donations from the campaign accounts of her fellow senators. She did nab one contribution from FOX Corporation PAC.

Gallego, on the other hand, did not raise any money from PACs in the past three months, his report showed.

In Arizona, only one major Republican, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, is in the race. He reported raising $608,000 last quarter. But Republicans are watching closely to see if Kari Lake, who lost last year’s contentious race for governor, declares a campaign.

Checking on RealClearPolitics - 2024 - Latest Polls -- I find no polls listed.
 
Kari Lake prepares to launch Arizona Senate campaign in October
Driving the news: Lake is expected to spend most of September in Arizona interviewing potential staff and consultants, a source familiar told Axios.

...
What they're saying: "When President Trump gets back in the White House he's going to need fighters like Kari Lake in Washington, DC to help enact his Agenda 47," Caroline Wren, a senior adviser to Lake, told Axios.

...
What's next: Sinema has not yet officially announced whether she will seek re-election, but she reported nearly $10.8 million in cash-on-hand last quarter.

Jim Jordan's Challenger Tells Kari Lake to Stay Out of Ohio
Tamie Wilson, an Ohio Democrat challenging for Representative Jim Jordan's congressional seat in November 2024, bashed Kari Lake for insinuating that the Ohio special election was impacted by ballot scanning issues.
She continues to be a sore loser; she continues to believe conspiracy theories about why the Republicans seem to have lost some elections, even though they really won those elections. She believes that about the 2020 Presidential election, she believes that about the 2022 Arizona governor election, which she herself lost, and she believes that about the Ohio constitutional-change referendum, where voters rejected a change that Republicans wanted.

Given the poor performance of Trumpie candidates, will she lose again?
 
United States Senate election in Arizona, 2024 - Ballotpedia

RealClearPolitics - Election 2024 - Arizona Senate - Republican Primary

Poll Date Sample Lake Lamb Masters Hamadeh Wright Lamon Walker Spread
Emerson 8/2 - 8/4 590 RV 42 11 7 5 2 2 1 Lake +31

Kari Lake and Blake Masters have yet to announce their candidacy or else their rejection of candidacy. Last year, KL lost the race for AZ governor, and BM the race for AZ's Senate seat. KL went on to blame her defeat on election fraud, something that there has been no evidence of.

RealClearPolitics - Election 2024 - Arizona Senate - Democratic Primary

Poll Date Sample Gallego Keller Spread
Emerson 8/2 - 8/4 571 RV 48 6 Gallego +42

Ruben Gallego is likely to win the Democratic nomination.

General-election polling:

Poll Date Sample MoE Gallego (D) Lamb (R) Spread
Emerson 8/2 - 8/4 1337 RV 2.6 42 42 Tie

RealClearPolitics - Election 2024 - Arizona Senate - Lamb vs. Gallego vs. Sinema

Poll Date Sample MoE Gallego (D) Lamb (R) Sinema (I) * Spread
Emerson 8/2 - 8/4 1337 RV 2.6 36 29 21 Gallego +7

I suspect that RG would do even better against KL, especially if KS officially enters the race.
 
Kari Lake is now officially in the race for US Senate.

Kari Lake officially announces Senate bid in Arizona | CNN Politics

"Midway through her speech, Lake tossed to a pre-taped video of Trump, who said she had his endorsement."

Kari Lake's Arizona Senate run kickoff goes mainstream - POLITICO
Appearing in an airplane hangar in 94-degree heat, the former TV anchor devoted much of her address to lamenting rising inflation, gas prices and the border crisis. The script suggested a candidate keenly invested in trying to tweak her image. It contained just one passing reference to the election fraud claims that she has harped on so much that they came to politically define her.
Has she recognized what a losing issue election denial has been for her?

Blake Masters?

Arizona Senate race heats up as venture capitalist Blake Masters mulls another run • OpenSecrets

Kari Lake and Blake Masters Have ‘Intense’ Phone Call About Dueling Senate Intentions

Also running is Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb.

All three are Republicans, so only one of them can advance to the general election. Will Mark Lamb run as the sober and level-headed one?
 
Will Mark Lamb run as the sober and level-headed one?

Sitting here trying to remember the last time I heard Republicans clamoring for a sober and level headed one.
He’d probably be better off going out with an AR and shooting up a pizza place. That seems to be what they want nowadays.
 
Krysten Sinema pitches donors an Arizona Senate race 'path to victory' - "A two-page document obtained by NBC News maps out a possible independent Senate bid, touting Sinema's record and suggesting she'd win over more Republicans than Democrats."
Under the banner “Kyrsten’s Path to Victory,” the document says Sinema can win by attracting 10% to 20% of Democrats, 60% to 70% of independents and 25% to 35% of Republicans.

Alongside a headshot of her and a section titled “Kyrsten Will Win Arizona,” the document says: “If the parties nominate extremists, as expected, Kyrsten will win a majority of IND, at least a third of REP and a percentage of DEM voters — making her the first Independent to win a three-way statewide race in American history.” A source shared the document, which has circulated among Arizona political operatives in recent days.
She seems convinced that Real Arizonans are much like her.
Under a section titled “Kyrsten Delivers for Arizona,” the prospectus credits Sinema with legislative achievements like the bipartisan infrastructure law, postal reform, codification of same-sex marriage and a gun law that Congress passed last year.

It touts lower drug prices under the Inflation Reduction Act, a law that Sinema cast a decisive vote for last year after she compelled Democrats to pare a provision to empower Medicare to negotiate drug prices, to the chagrin of the White House and some activists who wanted it to be more aggressive.
Not mentioning how much she obstructed Build Back Better because of some of her donors not liking some of it.
 
For someone who once called campaign contributions "bribery", she now seems eager to receive them.

Winery Where Kyrsten Sinema Interned Owned by Private Equity Baron - September 26 2021, 1:03 p.m. - "The Arizona senator, who is blocking tax increases on the rich, spent the summer courting donors who stand to lose under major tax reform."

Kyrsten Sinema Is Literally Teaching a Course on Fundraising - October 8 2021, 12:35 p.m. - "The senator is educating Arizona State University students on her forte: asking for money."
All students hope to learn from the top experts in their field. Graduate students at Arizona State University have an unusual opportunity this fall to do just that, where Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., is teaching a course on getting rich people to give you money.

The course, titled “Developing Grants and Fundraising,” is one of two classes Sinema is teaching this fall at Arizona State University’s School of Social Work. The syllabus, which was obtained by The Intercept, says students will “learn diverse fundraising strategies” for nonprofits as well as “how to cultivate donors,” including “large individual donors,” by leveraging resources like “opportunistic fundraising,” “finding supporters for major fundraising events” — and, well, “asking for money.”

The outline identifies “Key Course Concepts” such as “corporate giving,” “political strategy,” “influence,” and “power” as well as more socially conscious terms like “discrimination,” “oppression,” and “privilege.” One of the required books is “Fundraising for Social Change” — ironic in light of Sinema’s attempts to ensure things like corporate tax rates remain unchanged. A spokesperson for Sinema did not respond to a request for comment.
 
Kyrsten Sinema Founded Consulting With Payday Loan Booster - February 13 2023, 10:11 a.m. - "Since 2007, the representative has had a consultancy with Chad Campbell, a former legislator who backed industry-supported bills and later lobbied for payday lenders."

Crypto Cash Powering Kyrsten Sinema’s Reelection Campaign - April 28 2023, 5:00 a.m. - "Sinema has grown more friendly to the cryptocurrency industry as investors and industry employees contributed to her congressional races."

Kyrsten Sinema After Taking Airline Cash: Reduce Pilot Training - June 23 2023, 9:10 a.m. - "The airline-backed amendment to radically alter pilot training requirements is opposed by pilot and flight attendant unions."

Epstein-Tied Billionaire Led Private Equity Support for Sinema - August 3 2023, 10:19 a.m. - "Now embroiled in scandal, Leon Black made a safe bet on Sinema during her 2018 Senate campaign."

Does KS think that there is a silent majority of Arizonans who vote for the candidate with the most big-money contributions?
 

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, the Arizona Democrat-turned-independent, hasn't publicly announced whether she's running for re-election next year. But privately, her political team has been mapping out a campaign strategy, pitching donors and potential supporters on how she can win the marquee Senate race.

In a two-page prospectus obtained by NBC News, Sinema charts out a path to victory as an independent candidate in Arizona, with a glimpse of her possible campaign message and new details about the unique cross-party coalition she would seek to build in the competitive state.

Under the banner “Kyrsten’s Path to Victory,” the document says Sinema can win by attracting 10% to 20% of Democrats, 60% to 70% of independents and 25% to 35% of Republicans.

Alongside a headshot of her and a section titled “Kyrsten Will Win Arizona,” the document says: “If the parties nominate extremists, as expected, Kyrsten will win a majority of IND, at least a third of REP and a percentage of DEM voters — making her the first Independent to win a three-way statewide race in American history.” A source shared the document, which has circulated among Arizona political operatives in recent days.

The two-page pitch shows that even as Sinema's team insists she isn't focused on electoral politics, she is actively laying the groundwork for a potential independent candidacy, a wild card in a key swing state that will shape the battle for control of the Senate next year.
 
This story says similar.

Would a 3-Way Arizona Senate Race Help Kari Lake? Her Party Isn’t So Sure. - The New York Times

Republicans are growing anxious that their chances of capturing a Senate seat in Arizona would be diminished in a potential three-way race that included Kyrsten Sinema, the independent incumbent.

While Ms. Sinema hasn’t announced whether she will run for re-election, the race already includes Representative Ruben Gallego, a Democrat, and Kari Lake, a Republican scheduled to host her first campaign rally on Tuesday.

Many political strategists had figured that a re-election bid from Ms. Sinema, who dropped her Democratic affiliation last year, would split votes in her former party and increase the odds that Ms. Lake, the controversial front-runner for the Republican nomination, would be sworn in to the Senate. Arizona, along with West Virginia, Montana and Ohio, has been seen as among the best opportunities for Republicans to pick up Senate seats next year and win back a majority.

But private and public polling has suggested that Ms. Sinema is viewed much more favorably by Republican voters than by Democrats. Those surveys indicated that Mr. Gallego would benefit in a three-way race.
 
Will she campaign as a sober Republican?

But it seems like KS is not likely to win a second term in the US Senate.

What will be next for her? More teaching courses on fundraising? More athletic competitions? Becoming a corporate lobbyist? Writing her memoirs and explaining why she became such a big fat sellout? Becoming a fashion model? :D
 
I like Kyrsten Sinema. She did a noble thing blocking the irresponsible $3.5T Spendapalooza.

It is a shame that the people of Arizona seem to be rejecting a reasonable moderate in favor of two radicals - one on the Left, the other on the Right.
 
I like Kyrsten Sinema. She did a noble thing blocking the irresponsible (*in the opinion of a computer programmer no one's ever heard of) $3.5T Spendapalooza.

It is a shame that the people of Arizona seem to be rejecting a reasonable moderate in favor of two radicals - one on the Left, the other on the Right.
She's in it for the money. When she campaigned on allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies, a position wildly popular in her state, then reneged on that promise, it really pissed people off. But the pharma money just started rolling in.

*Oh, and I fixed your first sentence for you.
 
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