Cramer (R-Special Interests) Only Ran for Senate Because Out-of-State Billionaire Promised To Help

(BISMARCK, ND) – Kevin Cramer’s high-dollar, closed-door fundraiser shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been following his campaign or political career. Cramer prioritizes financial gain and political capital ahead of the North Dakotans he’s supposed to serve. That’s why – by his own admission – he only ran for U.S. Senate when an out-of-state billionaire promised to help him fundraise. So of course his fundraiser on Friday includes contribution levels of $50,000, with the cheapest ticket coming in at $1,000: he’s catering to his wealthy donors like Harold Hamm and Dan Eberhart, rather than folks in our state.

High Plains Reader: “Hamm and his net worth of $19.5 billion became the decision maker for Cramer accepting Hamm as his national finance chairman.
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Hamm, with his billions in North Dakota oil profits, became Cramer’s national finance chairman in February, which was a deciding factor in Cramer’s flip-flopping stance on whether to run against Heitkamp, or not.
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For years, Hamm’s money trails to Cramer branches like tributaries of the Missouri River. Sometimes donations are direct deposits to Cramer, at other times the funds are processed through PACs and committees. More than 50 percent of Cramer’s funds for his U.S. Senate run have come from large and primarily out-of-state contributors such as Energy Transfer Partners, the parent company of the Dakota Access Pipeline.”

WDAY: “[Cramer] didn’t want to risk losing his seat in the House… It was a call from oil tycoon Harold Hamm, whose net worth is $18 billion, that finally tipped the scales” to him running for U.S. Senate.

Forum: “[T]he absolute most miserably insufficient reason to run, is to have an out-of-state industrialist with a direct interest in having you elected be the person who finally persuaded you. North Dakota, meet Kevin Cramer.
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Not North Dakotans, not the country. A wealthy out-of-state oil man who promised to raise a lot of money. That’s the who and why that tripped Cramer’s trigger. It’s always telling to know what compels people to make major decisions. Harold Hamm compelled Kevin Cramer. What does that tell you?”

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