2y ago

Mike Johnson's campaign contributions from company tied to Russia

www.newsweek.com

A group of Russian nationals were able to donate to newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson's campaign in 2018 by funneling the money through a U.S. company.

The Texas-based American Ethane company previously donated tens of thousands of dollars to the campaigns of Louisiana Republicans including Johnson, who was voted by the House to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy as Speaker on Wednesday following three weeks of GOP chaos in the lower chamber.

While American Ethane was run in 2018 by American John Houghtaling, 88 percent of the firm was owned by three Russian nationals—Konstantin Nikolaev, Mikhail Yuriev, and Andrey Kunatbaev.

36 comments

FUCK THIS GUY AND FUCK THE GOP
Mike Johnson is...
Part of the Regressive Religious Right with close ties to fundamentalist religious groups.
Early on in his career he was a senior attorney and spokesman for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Conservative christian legal advocacy group that wants to outlaw abortion and suppress the LGBTQ community. Alliance Defending Freedom is designated a hate group.
Supports nation wide abortion ban, and an end to legal same sex marriage through the overturning of Obergefell v. Hodges
Supports restrictions to medical marijuana and refers to it as a "gateway drug"
Like Emmer, he supported and signed on to Texas v Pennsylvania in an effort to challenge the election results
He voted to overturn those results in Pennsylvania.
Supports an end to military aid to Ukraine.
Johnson has remarked that his career is dedicated to "defending religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and biblical values, including the defense of traditional marriage, and other ideals like these when they’ve been under assault."
As a State Rep he sought to put forth legislation that protected people who discriminated against same sex marriage partners.
He voted to repeal the ACA
Proposed cuts to medicaid and social security
Voted for Trump's tax cut legislation that disproportionately benefitted the wealthy.
He was 1 out of 147 Republicans to vote to overturn the election results.
Voted against a January 6 commission
He reportedly does not even believe in climate change
One of his committees wrote a statement in support of books on conversion therapy that were recently taken down from Amazon. (So basically a supporter of conversion therapy)
He has opposed expanding medical marijuana access in his state and in his defense argued specifically that Marijuana can worsen some health conditions like epilepsy. (The context is important, his views on weed are outdated, he refers to weed as a "gateway drug". He went fishing for whatever he could find and take out of context to support his rigid stance. A study did find some adverse effects with epileptics, however, CBD/medical marijuana is also used in treatments for epilepsy)
He voted in favor of Trump's Muslim ban.
Has campaigned against LGBTQ rights and anti bullying legislation.
He has supported similar legislation to Florida's "don't say gay" bill.
Has referred to homosexuality as "unnatural" and a "dangerous lifestyle". He even argued in an editorial in his local Louisiana Newspaper that homosexuality would eventually lead to the destruction of "the entire Democratic system", and the legalization of pedophilia of course.
While working for the ADF, he supported criminalizing homosexuality.
He has argued in favor of including prayer and religious expression in public schools.
(not mine, but worth sharing and adding to)
- "defending religious freedom,[...]and biblicial values."
  I am a Christian [agnostic]. Bruv that shit is not how anything work
  
  Christian agnostic? That sounds like an oxymoron, how does that work? (actual question, not being an asshole)
Of course.
- Wouldn't have it any other way.
Russia Russia Russia.
Every traito’R’ is funded by the same bunch of bad guys.
Maria Butina. Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.
A long time.
deleted by creator
- Catholic here, during my confirmation we had to stay a weekend at a monastery to learn about God. One day a priest is talking about a priest who saw Jesus appear before him telling him that he should kiss the feet he walked on and pray to him as he was the son of God, when the priest heard this, he responded with "Jesus never asked to be glorified as a God, and instead wanted to be our servant, you are not him", he threw holy water at Jesus who immediately caught on fire and revealed himself as Satan just before disappearing. The lesson is that is someone tells you that to follow the footsteps of God, you must cause pain to others and do evil deeds, then that person does not represent God but instead represents the Devil and you should cast him aside.
  
  Exactly, we should cast the bible aside.
  
  deleted by creator
  
  Very based, but according to this the GOP represents the devil, and Christians sure aren't throwing them aside.
  The atheists are unironically better Christians than the Christians are.
- Breathe bro, it's gonna be ok.
Someone fetch my fainting couch.
- Oh Lindsey you're so dramatic.
This is what happens when you let money into politics, eventually whole countries can purchase politicians/political parties to do their bidding.
Then it doesn't even matter if the president is born overseas, if he can be bought with overseas funds.
Who's shocked? Anyone? No?
Cool. Moving on then.
- And they cheap to buy!
Of course they are. He's the same as the rest of the #TraitorGOP.
We must stomp them out.
I'm shocked, shocked, I tell you! Well, not that shocked...
Not even a little surprised.
The Russian MAGA coalition must have someone in charge that's accountable to Putin.
- MAGA by starting to execute traitors again
Slightly off topic, but I've been wondering: Is the "a single member of the House can call a vote to remove the Speaker" rule still in effect, or did things go back to default after McCarthy's removal?
- Since I haven't heard anything to the contrary, I assume the single-member requirement is still in place.
  That single member requirement is actually the "default", historically. Pelosi had it changed when she became Speaker (with a similarly slim margin) so that you needed a majority from either party to make the motion. McCarthy simply changed it back.
  
  Thanks, I didn't know about that!
It's why putin/trump installed him.
Here we go again
Huh.

36 comments