With the transition of the Republican / New Confederate / Stupid Party into the Trump Q Cult, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has gone full extortion mode in its "fundraising" activities. Following Dear Leader's model, and just as the "former guy" / Dear Leader thought nothing of extorting Ukraine for made-up dirt on President Biden's son, so too does the NRCC think nothing of threatening the rubes who donate to them. Here's how the thuggish scam works, according to the Washington Post:
"After donating to the NRCC, donors are shown a yellow box with a small pre-checked box that warns: 'If you UNCHECK this box, we will have to tell Trump you’re a DEFECTOR.' Left checked and the supporter will be agreeing to contribute every month.
The tactic, roundly criticized by campaign finance experts as deceptive, was also employed by the Trump campaign from September until the 2020 election to shore up its dwindling coffers." (our emphasis)
Their tactic is reminiscent of organized crime shakedowns, with wise guys telling a shop owner "it's a nice business you have here, it'd be a shame if something happened to it." Instead of a bomb through the window, however, the NRCC is going to report you to Dear Leader, who hates disloyal people and loves revenge. Public interest groups have taken notice:
"Craig Holman, a lobbyist on good-government issues at Public Citizen, said requests for recurring donations are common but should always offer clear instructions and don’t threaten repercussions if a donor opts out.
The Republicans’ tactic, he said, is 'extortion,' 'akin to blackmail' and 'highly unethical,' but it is not illegal. Political donors who feel duped or coerced don’t have a lot of legal recourse under campaign finance or consumer protection laws.
Paul S. Ryan, vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause, a government accountability organization, said it comes down to 'basic human decency.'
'While it should be easy for supporters of an organization to make recurring donations, people shouldn’t be tricked or bullied into making donations,' Ryan said. 'NRCC and Trump solicitations seem to have crossed this line.'” (our emphasis)
Crossing the line and lacking basic human decency is the hallmark of the rotted out Republican party / Trump Q Cult, so no surprise here. It's in their DNA.
(image: A reasonable representation of the NRCC)
