Donald Trump’s efforts to push his “big lie” of election fraud are receiving powerful help from one billionaire donor, The Daily Beast reported Thursday.
“Among the ranks of “dark money” groups and anonymous megadonors who bankrolled the effort is a familiar name in GOP fundraising circles: Dick Uihlein, founder of the multinational Uline shipping company,” The Beast reported. “According to previously unreported tax disclosures, Uihlein’s nonprofit—the Ed Uihlein Family Foundation—poured millions of dollars in 2020 into a sprawling number of groups connected to efforts to challenge Joe Biden’s victory and reimagine election law, as well as other right-wing extremist organizations, including ones designated as hate groups.”
The Beast noted that all of the foundations $16.8 million in donations in 2020 came from Uihlein.
Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US, blasted Uihlein for the donations.
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“In 2020, as workers and families struggled to get by, Dick and Liz Uihlein’s company cashed in on pandemic aid—then turned around and funded hate groups pushing COVID conspiracy theories, bigotry, and efforts to undermine democracy,” he said. “By signing away more than $1 million to groups that have promoted hate and sedition, Dick and Liz Uihlein have made it clear where their company’s values truly lie.”
The Beast noted Uihlein gave $1.25 million to the Conservative Partnership Institute, where Cleta Mitchell served as a senior legal fellow.
“Mitchell, a veteran GOP operative, helped construct the campaign’s post-election legal strategy mostly behind the scenes. But she drew national attention in early January 2021 after she featured heavily in a taped phone call between then-President Donald Trump, his Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and Georgia’s top election officials. Trump pressured the election officials in that now infamous call to ‘find’ enough votes for him to win Georgia. (Meadows joined Mitchell at CPI after he left the White House in January.,” The Beast reported.
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Uihlein also contributed to the Federalist Society, the Texas Public Policy Forum, and the Center for Security Policy, which has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
“Uihlien—whose net worth Bloomberg pegs at about $4 billion—also funded right-wing media outlets that pushed false narratives about the 2020 election. For instance, he donated $750,000 to the FDRLST, which pushed misleading claims of voter fraud. He also slipped $25,000 to the American Conservative, which published a number of articles claiming that Democrats had stolen the election, including a debunked article the evening of Jan. 6 alleging widespread fraud,” The Beast reported. “Uihlein also threw a $25,000 bone to conservative watchdog Judicial Watch, run by conspiracy theorist Tom Fitton. That organization also challenged the election results.”
Read the full report.