“Senator Baldwin and her operatives are manipulating the US Senate race” – Eric Hovde

When you go to the ballot box on Nov. 5, you will see the name Thomas Leager featured as an “America First” candidate in the U.S. Senate race in Wisconsin. Be forewarned: The Associated Press recently exposed the fact that Leager was recruited by Democrats who are hoping to siphon votes from Republican Eric Hovde to help leftist Tammy Baldwin.

Hovde is the candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump. In fact, Trump brought Hovde on stage with him in Juneau, Wisconsin, the other day.

“Democratic donors prop up far-right candidates including Wisconsin gun activist in Senate race,” the AP wrote, citing Leager as one of them. In Iowa, the AP’s investigation led to a criminal investigation.

In fact, Thomas Leager’s candidacy is part of efforts by Democrats masquerading as a “patriot group” to plant conservative-appearing candidates in key congressional races around the country. The goal is to tank the Republicans in those races. In this case, Hovde is surging against leftist incumbent Tammy Baldwin in the U.S. Senate race. It’s likely to be an exceptionally close race, so a third-party candidate drawing any votes from the right could give the election to Baldwin.

“Democrats claim that they are defending democracy and yet all they do is try to manipulate elections,” Hovde told Wisconsin Right Now. “Senator Baldwin and her operatives are manipulating the US Senate race by running an America First candidate that has no connection to President Trump in order to try and win. She can not run a fair election because she has no record to run on other than that of failure.” You can read our series of stories examining Baldwin’s liberal record in the U.S. Senate here.

Thomas Leager AP Report

• According to the AP, a “wealthy donor” named David Steinglass gave a maximum $3,300 to help Leager get on the ballot in the Senate race. Steinglass “has supported scores of Democrats running for office and calls himself an activist for transgender rights.” Other Democrats also helped fund efforts to get Thomas Leager on the Wisconsin ballot, the AP reported. A company that helped him gather signatures “has done work for Vice President Kamala Harris and Baldwin,” AP reported.
• The AP reported that the Steinglass donation was part of a “plan to boost Democrats and siphon votes from Republicans.”
• “This kind of activity is a real problem and it undermines the functioning of democracy,” said Edward B. Foley, a law professor, to the AP.
• According to the AP, Thomas Leager said he was recruited by operatives calling themselves the “Patriots Run Project.” They said they were a “pro-Trump grassroots movement that attacked both parties and urged conservatives to run for office as independents,” the AP reported.
• The AP found that the group “was supported by Democratic firms and donors who worked to install several pro-Trump independent candidates in key House races. Most of them were disabled, retired or both.”
• A candidate in Iowa now believes he was “tricked” and removed his name from the ballot, but Thomas Leager’s remains, according to the AP.
• Thomas Leager told the group that “he would be a controversial candidate because of his association with some of the men charged in the 2020 plot to kidnap” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer – a very controversial prosecution, AP reported. Some of the men were later acquitted. Leager was never charged. Leager has denied being a “Democratic operative” to the AP, saying he is conservative.