The Mainstream Media Campaign Against Forest 2020 Has Begun

RALEIGH – Last week the campaign for Lt. Gov. Dan Forest released fundraising figures for the back half of 2017. In the interest of complete transparency, they also released figures for the Super PAC ‘Truth & Prosperity,’ to which the Leftist media in Raleigh reacted in such a way as to imply illegality on the part of Forest.

“Eyes went wide and lawyers cringed Thursday afternoon when Lt. Gov. Dan Forest’s campaign took credit for a $1 million donation to a super-PAC that supported him in the last election.

The email blast made clear: Forest raised the money, though it went to an outside group called Truth & Prosperity.

These political action committees have rules forbidding coordination with candidates. Did this not violate them?

It did not, according to attorneys who specialize in campaign finance.

“Candidates can coordinate and affiliate with super-PACs on raising money but can in no way coordinate on the spending of money,” said Josh Lawson, general counsel at the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement.”

Even though the campaign finance experts these ‘reporters’ spoke with assured them that Forest’s actions were in no way illegal, they framed the entire piece as if laws have been broken in order to smear Forest.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the official commencement of the Leftist Mainstream Media’s 2020 campaign on behlaf of Democrat Roy Cooper.

“Michael Weisel, a campaign and elections attorney who works with Democrats, dubbed Forest’s announcement “disturbing.” Other long-time political hands said they were shocked by the campaign’s brazenness, even though it’s not uncommon for politicians to attend fundraisers for outside groups.”

A Democrat called Forest’s announcement ‘disturbing’? What a surprise! Try to ignore that this guy’s last name is ‘disturbingly’ close to weasel.

“The state Democratic Party cried foul on Friday as well, with party Executive Director Kimberly Reynolds saying Forest was, “not only potentially breaking election law by coordinating with a Republican super PAC, he’s boasting about it.

“Forest’s own claim that he directly raised money for this dark money outside super PAC raises serious ethical concerns and may even be illegal,” Reynolds said in the party statement.

Perhaps worth noting: The $1 million donation in question came from Greg Lindberg, the owner of Eli Global in Durham. Lindberg also donated to the unsuccessful 2016 re-election bid of then-Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, who is now chairman of the state Democratic Party.”

‘Perhaps worth noting’?!?! Ya think?

The Leftist Democratic Media Arm, a.k.a. WRAL, gives first billing to the NCDP framing Forest’s ‘dark money’ actions as unethical and illegal before noting that the money is not ‘dark’ at all!

Not only is the ‘dark money’ donor, Greg Lindberg, clear as day, he doesn’t even seem to be remotely partisan judging by his previous funding of Democrats.

This is nothing but a hit piece on Forest designed to undermine his campaign against Roy Cooper in 2020 – merely a taste of the favoritism to come as the campaigns really ramp up.

After blasting Forest for ‘dark money’ and lack of transparency, the report closes by dismissively noting that fundraising filings for other high profile candidates, like Roy Cooper, weren’t even made available at the time.

You know the Democrats are worried about Forest when they start lashing out on behalf of Cooper this early, turning non-stories into platforms for Democrats to smear the conservative threat to their executive power.