According to Mediaite, Utah Senator Mike Lee, a Republican who actively sought to overturn the 2020 election results in favor of Donald Trump, is now under scrutiny for receiving campaign donations amounting to tens of thousands of dollars from three individuals in Arizona who falsely claimed that Trump had won the state in 2020. The revelation, reported by Bryan Schott in The Salt Lake Tribune, sheds light on donations made by James Lamon, a former U.S. Senate candidate in 2022, who contributed $8,700 to Lee’s campaign in January and March of 2021, along with an additional $15,000 to Lee’s leadership political action committee in January 2022. Lamon, the former CEO of DEPCOM, a solar power company, is among the Arizona fake electors who signed documents falsely asserting Trump’s victory.
Another donor, Arizona state legislator Jake Hoffman, contributed $1,200 to Lee in June 2021. Hoffman drew attention in the lead-up to the 2020 election when Facebook banned his digital marketing firm for running a “troll farm” on behalf of the conservative advocacy group Turning Point Action, the political arm of Turning Point USA. Hoffman’s company was described as orchestrating one of the most ambitious domestic influence campaigns uncovered during the 2020 election.
Tyler Bowyer, the Chief Operating Officer of Turning Point USA, also contributed $1,000 to Lee’s campaign in the same month as Hoffman. The donations from these individuals raise questions about their ties to efforts to overturn the election results.
The House January 6 Committee report detailed Lee’s involvement in encouraging state legislators to endorse competing efforts for Trump. Text messages revealed that Lee spent a month reaching out to state legislators for this purpose, claiming to spend 14 hours a day on the endeavor, as reported by Schott.
James Lamon, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, donated $8,700 to Lee’s campaign in January and March of 2021. Lamon is the former CEO of DEPCOM, a solar power company. Lamon also donated $15,000 to Lee’s leadership political action committee in January 2022.
Arizona state legislator Jake Hoffman contributed $1,200 to Lee in June 2021. Hoffman gained attention ahead of the 2020 election when Facebook banned his digital marketing firm for running a “troll farm” on behalf of the conservative advocacy group Turning Point Action, the political arm of Turning Point USA. Hoffman’s company’s effort was described as “among the most ambitious domestic influence campaigns” uncovered during the 2020 election.
Lee also received a $1,000 donation from Tyler Bowyer, the chief operating officer of Turning Point USA, that same month.
Recently, Lee has been promoting a theory regarding footage from the January 6th Capitol riot, suggesting the presence of undercover federal agents. Lee’s assertions, including a tweet indicating a desire to question FBI Director Christopher Wray, were promptly debunked by reporters and criticized by former Representative Liz Cheney. Despite these developments, Lee has not responded to the Tribune’s report about the campaign donations from the Arizona fake electors.
I can’t wait to ask FBI Director Christopher Wray about this at our next oversight hearing.
I predict that, as always, his answers will be 97% information-free. https://t.co/m3rRE4Byfu
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) November 19, 2023
