GOP MP Marjorie Taylor Greene’s biggest donors are largely by her side after the House decided to remove her from multiple committees due to her previous arson attacks, as well as her past support for conspiracy theories and messages advocating violence against lawmakers.
CNBC reached out to donors who supported the new lawmaker Greene’s candidacy for Congress last year. Some didn’t respond, while most of the donors who responded said they would support Greene again after CNN and other outlets discovered branding comments and social media promotions from their recent past.
In 2019, Greene liked a Facebook comment that, according to CNN, “a bullet in the head would be faster” to remove House spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. A video was made of Greene following and berating gun safety activist David Hogg, a survivor of the school massacre in Parkland, Florida in 2018.
She has also promoted the QAnon false conspiracy theory, which states that devil-worshiping democrats and elites are part of a cabal that trades, sexually abuses, and tortures children.
Greene said she regrets many of her previous views but has yet to apologize publicly. In last week’s remarks, she said the mainstream is just as bad as QAnon at spreading lies.
The controversy and disciplinary action taken by the House don’t appear to affect their fundraising system and could even increase their chances of being re-elected in 2022.
“She stands by the conservative values we all have and will not compromise,” said donor Pamela Reardon, a real estate agent at Keller Williams Realty who donated Greene’s $ 3,000 campaign. “She is the same person today as she was 3 or 4 years ago.”
“AMERICA FIRST,” Reardon added in a text message, reiterating a key theme from former President Donald Trump’s campaigns.
All House Democrats and some Republicans voted last week to remove Greene from her committee duties based on her previous comments and actions. The controversy seems to be helping her with donors. Before the House voted her out of the committees, Greene told the Washington Examiner that Democratic lawmakers actually support her campaign. Greene told the publication that she recently raised over $ 300,000.
Greene, herself a wealthy businesswoman, loaned her campaign more than $ 900,000 in the last cycle. However, a group of business executives gave their committee large checks and helped raise over $ 2.5 million, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics. She won the race for Georgia’s 14th Congress District with an overwhelming 74% of the vote.
Greene was one of over 100 House Republicans who questioned the 2020 presidential election results. She was a passionate supporter of former President Donald Trump. Greene recently tweeted that she spoke to Trump and that he supports her.
Republican leaders were concerned about raising money for the 2022 midterm election after some companies announced they would pause their donations after the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill.
Greene, however, appears prepared to have little trouble raising money for her re-election bid. Some willing to re-support her had given her campaign a maximum of $ 2,800 during the primaries and general election.
Thomas Beckwith, Florida-based CEO of Beckwith Electric, gave Greene two separate checks for $ 2,800 during the runoff for the GOP primary and later general election. Beckwith replied “yes” to a LinkedIn message when asked if he would support Greene again and did not answer any further questions to leave a comment.
However, one of the executives CNBC spoke to said he would not support Greene again.
Bill Pope, the CEO of NCIC Inmate Telephone Services in Texas, said he will make no further contribution to Greene’s campaign. Records show that Pope was a top Greens donor at $ 8,400.
“She seems to be putting her foot in her mouth,” Pope said in a LinkedIn message. “Yes, I will pass it on.”
The overall continued support for Greene, however, represents a major reckoning within the Republican Party as several GOP leaders have attempted to distance themselves from Trump and his far-right base.
“You [Republican Party officials] I didn’t expect the grassroots not to return and vote for pro-Trump officials who would continue to stand up for what can only be described as crazy and morally repugnant views, “Republican strategist Evan Siegfried recently told CNBC .
In the run-up to Greene’s removal from the committees, she raised funds from Democrats to bring her down.
ProPublica archived a number of now-deleted tweets from Greene’s personal Twitter account, where she was actively raising funds.
“Thank you to the 13,000 America First Patriots for sending a message to the radical Democratic mob in the past 48 hours by donating to help defend my seat in Congress,” she said in a tweet posted by ProPublica Jan. February was deleted.
A tweet that ProPublica says was deleted the same day contains a link to a picture of Greene and Trump together. “The Democrats want you to be expelled, the fake news media are tarnishing you, and the Silicon Valley Cartel wants you to shut down,” the site reads as people are asked to give their name and phone number to “join MTG.” stand”.
“Let’s keep sending the message to the Democratic mob. We already raised $ 100,000 today. Can we raise another $ 50,000 to defend my seat before midnight?” The deleted tweet with the link said.
A Greene tweet deleted on Feb.5, the day after she was removed from her committee duties, targets the Democrats and Republicans who voted for the move.
“First 10 who voted for President Trump’s impeachment. Then 11 who voted with Democrats against me and opened the door to every Republican,” Greene’s tweet said at the time. “The base keeps a list of these types of ‘Rs’. They are fed up with it. This type of betrayal is going to cost us the majority.”
A Greene press representative did not respond to a request for comment.
