When God Is Not There, Everything Is for Sale: The Politicians Lineup and Sell Their Souls. Trump’s GOP Primary Nominees Spent More Than $400,000 at Mar-A-Lago. Trump’s a Great Con Man

HNewsWire:

According to federal and state records, the campaigns of seven Republican candidates sponsored by former President Donald Trump spent more than $400,000 in the run-up to Tuesday's primaries at his private club Mar-a-Lago.

According to Federal Election Commission filings, Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker's campaign has spent nearly $200,000 at the exclusive resort in Palm Beach, Florida, so far during the 2022 election cycle: a payment of just over $135,000 in December and another of roughly $65,000 in April.

Walker attended a campaign event for his primary effort at Mar-a-Lago in December, according to a video showing him presenting Trump to a gathering of contributors. "He is without a doubt the finest president to ever serve," Walker remarked.

Trump supported Walker in September, and he is the presumptive Republican contender to fight Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock.

According to state campaign finance filings, Trump's choice for Georgia governor, former Sen. David Perdue, spent more than $20,000 from his campaign funds at Mar-a-Lago in May.

However, Perdue seems to be behind incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue's campaign has included disprove claims regarding the 2020 presidential election propagated by the former president.

Trump called Kemp a "very weak governor" who "failed Georgia" after recertifying President Joe Biden's victory in the Peach State during the 2020 presidential election. A Real Clear Politics polling average showed Perdue behind Kemp by 19 percentage points heading into the primary, despite Trump's political action committee donating $500,000 to a group criticizing Kemp in the governor race. According to NBC News, Perdue did not purchase any television advertising time in the last week of the campaign.

An invitation to a March fundraising event for Perdue's campaign at Mar-a-Lago said that contributors had to pay or raise $24,200 in order to acquire a photo with the candidate and Trump.

Trump's spokesperson, Taylor Budowich, told CNBC in a text message that "candidates and causes around the country are being financed by the extraordinary amount of money being collected at Trump hotels."

"There are only two seasons that count in Republican politics today: Mar-A-Lago season and Bedminster season, because that's where candidates, groups, and contributors want to go," he remarked. Bedminster, New Jersey is home to the Trump National Golf Club.

In the Republican primary for Georgia Secretary of State, Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., is opposing incumbent Brad Raffensperger. When he spoke out against several of Trump's erroneous theories regarding the 2020 election, Raffensperger became one of Trump's targets.

According to campaign documents, Hice's campaign spent more than $38,000 at Mar-a-Lago in February. In an April video, Trump hosts Hice at his private club for a campaign fundraiser. According to a recent survey, Raffensperger has 28% support among prospective GOP primary voters, while Hice has 26%. In March 2021, Trump backed Hice.

According to campaign finance records, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running in a primary runoff against George P. Bush, the son of former Florida governor and failed presidential candidate Jeb Bush, spent more than $45,000 of his campaign funds at Mar-a-Lago between November and December.

According to a tweet from Paxton, Trump stated of Paxton in a December video at Trump's private club, "You have done a fantastic job, and you are a brave guy."

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Trump White House press secretary; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.; and former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones have all used campaign funds to rent space at Mar-a-Lago. Trump has backed all three candidates.

Sanders, who is running for governor of Arkansas, did not reply to a request for comment through email. All other Republican congressional candidates' representatives did not reply to calls for comment.