There’s no end to these assholes, part 2.
A crook any way you look
In late June, about a dozen conservative Gen Z influencers converged on Fort Worth for a few days of right-wing networking. They hit local night spots, posed for group photos and met a far-right Texas billionaire and Donald Trump’s former campaign chair.
And then they took to social media to rally their many followers behind a new, controversial film about human trafficking before turning their support to impeached Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The event was sponsored by a fledgling company, Influenceable LLC, that recruits young, conservative social media figures to promote political campaigns and films without disclosing their business relationship. On its website, the company touts itself as the “world’s largest network of digital activists” and offers clients the power to “cultivate a community of influencers to leverage their credibility” with audiences.
Photos from the event show that Influenceable has powerful allies. Among the speakers were Brad Parscale, who recently moved to Texas after years running the Trump campaign’s digital strategy, and Tim Dunn, the West Texas oil tycoon who has given tens of millions of dollars to ultraconservative movements and candidates in Texas — including Paxton.
Now Influenceable appears to be recruiting young conservatives to parrot claims that the attorney general is the victim of a political witch hunt and, more recently, to promote a series of videos alleging that the Texas Legislature is secretly controlled by Democrats intent on destroying Paxton and other conservatives.
The company’s emergence comes amid Republican initiatives to connect with young Americans who tend to be more supportive of liberal policies.
And while legal experts said Influenceable’s methods don’t appear to run afoul of campaign finance and political advertising rules, the company has already irked some Republicans who say its approaches are deceptive and harmful to democracy. State Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, said he may propose new laws to strengthen disclosure requirements because of companies like Influenceable, saying they create “manufactured outrage” and further polarize the country.
“It disgusts me,” Oliverson said in an interview. “It calls into question the value and the validity of their entire message as an influencer. … I think they should all be investigated. I think the company should be investigated, and I think all of these influencers should be outed.”
See here for some background. Let’s all make a note of this, to see if Rep. Oliverson follows up on his words next session. Beyond that, all I can say is read the rest. It’s a long and detailed and increasingly mind-scrambling story of shitty people doing shitty things to help an even shittier person. I didn’t have the fortitude to make it all the way through, maybe you’ll do better than I did.
On the topic of crooked Republicans, the criminal indictments keep raining down on Donald J. Trump and all the, to borrow Charles’ word of the day, “shitty” people that participated his alleged crimes. These indictments renew my faith in our democracy. In the United States, no one, not even a U.S. President, is above the law. God bless America.
Thanks for the link to the Trib article, but you’re right that it’s a tough read. I didn’t wake up thinking about Paxton’s support from Qanon conspirators but now I know. Yikes.
Texas doesn’t have a real government, just cowering little shits like Abbott, Patrick, and Bettencourt who sit waiting in their offices to hear from the oil billionaire RWNJs for permission to speak or act.
Someone should send these Influencers down to Atlanta so they can hang with the Gov Kemp crowd and report on the local glee in being hamstrung and sidelined by local and/or State law when it comes to bailing the ‘Numbskull Nineteen’ out.
By the time 2025 rolls around everyone will forget Oliverson’s statement and Influenceable will be a mainstream GOP operation.
About time they moved up the sedition food chain. I have zero sympathy for the numbskulls who attacked the Capitol, but it’s been a glaring injustice that so far they’ve been the only ones to pay for the attack on democracy.