North Carolina Senate Race Sees Controversial Fundraising Efforts
In North Carolina, Republican Michael Whatley is drawing attention for his U.S. Senate campaign fundraising strategies that involve figures with contentious backgrounds, including accusations of domestic abuse and involvement in election fraud claims.
On September 25, Whatley is set to appear at a fundraiser in Pinehurst, NC. The event is co-hosted by Mike Hardin, the District Attorney for Moore and Hoke Counties, who faces allegations from his estranged wife of emotional and physical abuse. Court documents from May 2024 reveal claims that Hardin pushed his wife, Victoria Hardin, causing bruises, and allegedly accessed her personal accounts without permission, as well as withdrawing $173,000 without her consent.
Victoria Hardin’s legal representative communicated with The Assembly stating, “Ms. Hardin had hoped that the parties would be able to resolve the legal matters arising from their separation privately and cooperatively. Unfortunately, that was not possible. The pleadings and motions Ms. Hardin filed speak for themselves.” Mike Hardin has denied all allegations against him.
Another notable name at the fundraiser is Cleta Mitchell, an attorney known for advising President Donald Trump during his attempts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election. Mitchell’s participation in a phone call with Trump, in which he urged Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” ballots, led to her resignation from her law firm in 2021. This call was highlighted in a criminal indictment against Trump in August 2023.
Whatley’s tenure as chairman of the Republican National Committee, from March 2024 to August 2023, has been scrutinized, with some suggesting that his position was influenced by his support for election fraud narratives. In a 2020 interview, Whatley expressed, “Regardless of how these lawsuits come out around the country with the presidential race, we do know that there was massive fraud that took place. We know that it took place in places like Milwaukee and Detroit and Philadelphia.”
The event will also feature Republican Rep. Richard Hudson, the current chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Both Hudson and Whatley have faced criticism for their past support of controversial figures, notably Mark Robinson, a failed gubernatorial candidate known for making inflammatory remarks.
Tickets for the fundraiser vary in price from $250 to $14,000.
In the upcoming Senate race, Whatley is expected to face former Governor Roy Cooper. An Emerson poll from August indicated that Cooper is leading with 47% compared to Whatley’s 41%, with 12% of voters still undecided. The battle for the Senate seat is anticipated to be among the most costly in U.S. history.
The post Whatley leans on election deniers, alleged abusers to fund North Carolina Senate run appeared first on American Journal News.
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