Who’s Funding Cruz Super PAC That Says Support For LGBT Civil Rights Is ‘Tearing Down’ America?

Meet the head of a multi-national construction company who is the top funder of an anti-gay Ted Cruz Super PAC.

Just before South Carolina Republican voters headed to the polls Saturday, 180,000 of them were treated to an offensive robocall put out by a Ted Cruz super PAC, Courageous Conservatives. The message was designed to attack Donald Trump, but it also attacked LGBT people in the process, suggesting that supporting LGBT civil rights and equality is “tearing down” America.

The audio is actually a recording of a New England reporter who interviewed Trump earlier this month. NECN reporter and Bay Windows publisher Sue O’Connell, who identifies herself to Trump as a lesbian, asked the GOP frontrunner what the LGBT community could expect from his presidency.

“When President Trump is in office can we look for more forward motion on equality for gays and lesbians?,” she asked.

“Well you can,” Trump told her. “That’s your thing. And other people have their thing. We have to bring all people together.”

But the Ted Cruz robocall doesn’t stop there. A fast-talking deep-voiced announcer says, “Stop. What does she mean by ‘forward motion’?”

“What is he agreeing to?,” the announcer continues.

“It’s not about tolerance anymore. It’s about mandatory celebration,” he says, falsely. “It’s about forcing people to bake cakes and photograph gay weddings, forcing clergy to officiate, about transgender bathrooms in your child’s school. It’s about tearing down our Judeo-Christian values.”

“It’s about tearing down our America. Ted Cruz for president – now, before it’s too late.”

Listen:

NBC News reports the Ted Cruz super PAC that put out that robocall to 180,000 GOP voters – don’t forget, many children answer the phone at home, and guaranteed some of them are LGBTQ – is named Courageous Conservatives.

And USA Today reports “the bulk” of Courageous Conservatives’ funds “came from a well-established Republican contributor: Missouri construction executive Stan Herzog, who donated $60,000.” 

Herzog is the chairman, CEO, and principal shareholder of Herzog Contracting, according to its website. The company, based in St. Joseph, Missouri, operates in three major areas: railroad construction, heavy highway construction, and equipment leasing and sales. 

“Transit authorities nationwide have grown to respect what Herzog represents; Quality, Honesty, and Integrity,” Herzog Contracting’s LinkedIn page says. On Facebook, the company says it operates in “42 states including Canada, South America, and the Caribbean,” which means there’s a good chance your tax dollars have supported the company.

Herzog’s website includes a link to its harassment/discrimination policy, which states:

Its Equal Employment Opportunity policy, dated 2014, does not include sexual orientation or gender identity.

NCRM called Stan Herzog for comment, asking if he supports the idea that supporting LGBT civil rights is about tearing down Judeo-Christian values and tearing down America, to quote the robocall. We did not receive a response by press time.

 

Image by Michael Vadon via Flickr and a CC license 
Video hat tip: Joe Clark/Bipartisan Report