top line
A super PAC affiliated with Sen. Ted Cruz reported Wednesday that it received $215,000 in “digital revenue” from iHeartMedia. Mr. Cruz, a Texas Republican, has previously denied that the company that produces his podcast has any ethical issues, saying it is no different than iHeartMedia. Appeared on the program.
important facts
In a filing with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday, Truth and Courage PAC, which is dedicated to “assisting Ted Cruz's re-election to the U.S. Senate,” reported receiving $214,752.98 from iHeartMedia Management Services in February. .
In 2022, shortly after Mr. Cruz and iHeartMedia entered into a partnership in which the company would market and produce the podcast “The Verdict,'' the Campaign Legal Center watchdog group sued Mr. Cruz, alleging that the deal violated federal law. He asked the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate whether he had done so. A law that prohibits senators from accepting gifts from registered lobbyists.
But a spokesperson for Mr. Cruz denied that the senator violated ethics laws, saying that Mr. Cruz “received no financial benefit from the verdict” and that his podcast, which airs on iHeartMedia, and network television He told Forbes at the time that there was no difference in appearing on the show.
Forbes has reached out to Cruz's representatives and iHeartMedia for comment on Wednesday's filing.
Main background
Cruz's podcast, launched in 2020, was picked up by iHeartMedia in October 2022. The Daily Wire's Michael Knowles, who was Cruise's co-host at the time, announced this on the episode, saying: “iHeart can fund everything, and they can fund production.'' They spend a lot of money on marketing. ” The deal increases production from once a week to three times a week and allows iHeartMedia to broadcast the show on some of its 850 radio stations. CLC, which filed a complaint in November 2022 over the deal, said Mr. Cruz accepted gifts from registered lobbyists by entering into syndication agreements, something senators are prohibited from doing. Senate ethics rules prohibit senators from “knowingly accepting gifts from registered lobbyists” or collecting fees for “appearances, speeches, or articles.” CLC said iHeartMedia spent more than $3.5 million on lobbying efforts in 2022, including on at least two bills filed with Cruz's committee, the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. .
What to watch out for
Whether the new application will reignite CLC's case. Brendan Quinn, the center's senior communications manager for campaign finance and ethics issues, told Forbes that the Ethics Commission determined in February that Cruz did not violate federal law and that no further action would be taken. He said that he had notified him of the decision.
tangent
As of Wednesday, Cruz's podcast was ranked No. 43 on Spotify's News Podcasts chart and No. 31 on Apple's News Podcasts chart.
References
follow me twitter. Send us a safe tip.
