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Democratic Governors Association: Kansas Carpetbagger Zach Lahn Wants to Be Governor of Iowa "For The Next Two Decades"
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The Democratic Governors Association posted the following news:
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Kansas Carpetbagger Zach Lahn Wants to Be Governor of Iowa "For The Next Two Decades"
New reporting from Heartland Signal reveals that Kansas carpetbagger and career political operative Zach Lahn floated the possibility of being governor "for the next two decades," despite backing term limits for other offices. Lahn has spent the campaign trying to deflect from his decades as a political insider and his Kansas residency, while wholeheartedly embracing Gov. Kim Reynolds' failed status quo, and the newly
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The Democratic Governors Association posted the following news:
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Kansas Carpetbagger Zach Lahn Wants to Be Governor of Iowa "For The Next Two Decades"
New reporting from Heartland Signal reveals that Kansas carpetbagger and career political operative Zach Lahn floated the possibility of being governor "for the next two decades," despite backing term limits for other offices. Lahn has spent the campaign trying to deflect from his decades as a political insider and his Kansas residency, while wholeheartedly embracing Gov. Kim Reynolds' failed status quo, and the newlyuncovered audio only underscores how unfit he is to serve as Iowa's next governor.
"After a long career as a political operative, it's not surprising that Kansas carpetbagger Zach Lahn wants to cling to power for twenty years so he can continue pushing Kim Reynolds' failures for decades to come," said DGA spokesperson Izzi Levy. "Iowans don't want a governor who can't be bothered to reside full-time in their state, whether it's for four years, or -- like Lahn would prefer -- for decades."
Heartland Signal: Iowa governor candidate Zach Lahn backs term limits -- except for the office he wants
* Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn frequently pitches himself to Iowa voters as a political outsider who opposes establishment norms. However, his public comments about term limits reveal a notable exception.
* While Lahn stated during a May Des Moines Register interview that he favors term limits "for most things," he explicitly defended Iowa's lack of gubernatorial term limits.
* "One of the things I like about the governor not having term limits, and I am actually in favor of term limits for most things. I don't think they solve everything," Lahn said.
* Days later on the "Barn Talk" podcast, Lahn remarked that he could serve as Iowa governor "for the next two decades." In the same breath, Lahn contended that he does not want to be a "career politician."
* "No, I have no interest in running for anything else. If I could be the governor of Iowa for the next two decades to turn the ship around," Lahn said in May. "And I don't want to be a career politician, but I think that's one of the things about Iowa that we can do, like, is have a long-term impact."
* Lahn's term limit exception comes as he faces criticism for his loose connections to Iowa. Multiple outlets, including The Des Moines Register and The Daily Beast, reported on Lahn's frequent private jet travel to Kansas. The Daily Beast reported that Lahn and his wife own a $2 million mansion in Wichita, Kansas. Lahn, who holds a pilot's license and owns an airplane, told the Des Moines Register in April that his flights to Kansas allow him to visit the children he and his wife have from prior marriages.
* Lahn also voted in Kansas elections in 2018, 2020 and 2022. He claims he moved to Iowa full-time in 2023, which narrowly secured him the two-year residency requirement to run for governor. Lahn says he lives on a homestead in Belle Plaine that has been in his family for six generations, and that he travels to Kansas to see family members.
* Capodilupo did not address questions about Lahn's inconsistent stance on term limits or why he chose to run for governor in Iowa instead of Kansas, where term limits are imposed on the governorship.
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Original text here: https://democraticgovernors.org/updates/kansas-carpetbagger-zach-lahn-wants-to-be-governor-of-iowa-for-the-next-two-decades/
Ohio Families Face Record Gas Prices Thanks To Jon Husted-Backed War
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 20 -- The Ohio Democratic Party posted the following news:
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Ohio Families Face Record Gas Prices Thanks To Jon Husted-Backed War
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WHIO: 'It rose so fast;' August gas prices reach record highs in Ohio as crude oil costs climb
COLUMBUS, OHIO -New reporting shows Ohioans continue to see record gas prices -all thanks to the endless war in Iran that Jon Husted has continuously voted to support. The average price of gas has hit $4.17 in Ohio, which is up 20 cents from last week.
Jon Husted recently voted for the thirteenth time to support the unnecessary war in the Middle
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COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 20 -- The Ohio Democratic Party posted the following news:
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Ohio Families Face Record Gas Prices Thanks To Jon Husted-Backed War
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WHIO: 'It rose so fast;' August gas prices reach record highs in Ohio as crude oil costs climb
COLUMBUS, OHIO -New reporting shows Ohioans continue to see record gas prices -all thanks to the endless war in Iran that Jon Husted has continuously voted to support. The average price of gas has hit $4.17 in Ohio, which is up 20 cents from last week.
Jon Husted recently voted for the thirteenth time to support the unnecessary war in the MiddleEast. Husted previously claimed that the war is going "much better than anyone thought it would," and when asked about skyrocketing gas prices Ohioans are facing, Husted responded "what do you want me to do?"
Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:
"As Ohioans continue to face skyrocketing prices at the gas pump, Jon Husted has repeatedly voted to support the war in Iran, sending more money overseas while Ohioans pay the price. Instead of voting to lower costs at home, Husted continues to insult and lecture hardworking families on their work ethic."
While Husted keeps voting to make everything more expensive, he also can't help himself from insulting hardworking Ohioans struggling because of his votes:
* Husted claimed that the military operation "went very well" while admitting the war he supported "has put a strain on Americans."
* When asked recently if he was okay with not knowing how long the war will last or how much taxpayer dollars will be spent, Husted replied, "it's not really up to us."
* When asked what he was doing to address rising gas prices for his constituents, Husted responded: "What do you want me to do?"
* When a truck driver asked about soaring diesel costs, Husted brushed him off and responded by asking if he was comfortable with Iran being a nuclear power.
* Jon Husted has claimed that he thinks the war is "good news for the global economy" and going "much better than anyone thought it would."
* Jon Husted continues to insult struggling Ohioans as "not very experienced at navigating the real world" and consistently dismisses the mounting affordability crisis by telling Ohioans to fix their "work ethic" and to simply "earn more" money to make ends meet.
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Original text here: https://ohiodems.org/ohio-families-face-record-gas-prices-thanks-to-jon-husted-backed-war/
NRCC: Nick Begich Has More Bills Signed Into Law Than Any Other Member of Congress
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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Nick Begich Has More Bills Signed Into Law Than Any Other Member of Congress
A new report highlights that Congressman Nick Begich has had six bills pass through Congress and signed into law by President Trump, "outpacing every one of his congressional colleagues."
"Congressman Nick Begich hit the ground running in Congress and is already delivering commonsense wins for Alaska and the American people. From unleashing energy and expanding access to housing to standing up for Alaska Natives,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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Nick Begich Has More Bills Signed Into Law Than Any Other Member of Congress
A new report highlights that Congressman Nick Begich has had six bills pass through Congress and signed into law by President Trump, "outpacing every one of his congressional colleagues."
"Congressman Nick Begich hit the ground running in Congress and is already delivering commonsense wins for Alaska and the American people. From unleashing energy and expanding access to housing to standing up for Alaska Natives,Begich has proven he'll always put Alaska first. He's delivering results, and he's just getting started." - NRCC Spokesman Zach Bannon
Read the full article here (https://www.notus.org/congress/nick-begich-alaska-legislation-bills) or see excerpts below:
This Freshman Congressman Is Out-Legislating All Other Lawmakers
NOTUS
Mark Alfred
August 19, 2026
[...]
Since he entered the House in January 2025, six of Begich's bills have passed through Congress and earned President Donald Trump's signature -- outpacing every one of his congressional colleagues.
Begich in part attributes his legislative win streak to geography.
"We've received a lot of cooperation and recognition on both sides of the aisle that Alaska-specific issues really belong in the hands of the Alaskan that was sent to Congress to represent Alaska," Begich told NOTUS in an interview.
The Begich name is synonymous with Alaskan politics: The congressman's grandfather Nick Begich Sr. also served as the state's at-large representative. His uncle Mark was a U.S. senator from Alaska, and his other uncle Tom is currently running for the state's governorship. (Unlike the congressman, the other Begiches are Democrats.)
In 2024, Nick Begich III defeated then-Rep. Mary Peltola, the first Democrat to represent Alaska in the House in half a century. Begich placed first in Tuesday's open primary, coming in about 15 points ahead of his next closest rival, independent Bill Hill.
"In his first term, Nick Begich has proven to be an historically effective member of Congress," Speaker Mike Johnson, who recently campaigned with Begich in Alaska, said in a statement to NOTUS. "Nick is a workhorse who has set an excellent example of how House Republicans are working to deliver for American families."
Most of the bills Begich introduced that became law focus on specific issues affecting various Alaskan populations. They passed via voice vote or a near-unanimous roll-call vote before Trump signed them.
One excludes settlement trust payments made to Alaska Natives from counting against their eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments.
Another extends the window in which Alaska Native Vietnam veterans are able to claim federal land by five years, into 2030.
Yet another allows Cape Fox Corporation to claim its land settlement at a more suitable location within the Tongass National Forest.
"That's a bill that had been brought up 11 times over 22 years, and we were able to move that bill out of the House for the first time," Begich said of the long-stalled Cape Fox legislation. "Our objective was to use this political window that we have, this trifecta in government, to move this priority through, and we were able to finally do that through a lot of work by my team and a lot of work by myself and others."
With the slim GOP majority, his perch on the House Natural Resources Committee and the backing of a president more than eager to "drill, baby, drill," Begich has unwound Biden-era roadblocks to oil and gas production using a legislative tactic that will be immensely difficult for Democrats to counter even if they win back both chambers after November.
The Republican trifecta "really opened the aperture for Alaska, not just to develop these resources through the actions of an executive administration, but to lock in durably our ability to develop those resources on an ongoing basis, regardless of where the president is," Begich said.
[...]
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Original text here: https://www.nrcc.org/2026/08/19/nick-begich-has-more-bills-signed-into-law-than-any-other-member-of-congress/
NRCC Chairman Hudson Statement on FL-25
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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NRCC Chairman Hudson Statement on FL-25
NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson (R-NC) released the following statement on Florida's 25th Congressional District primary election:
"Congratulations to America First patriot Scott Singer! As the Mayor of Boca Raton, Singer voted to cut taxes, balanced budgets, and created jobs. Floridians are fired up to send him to Congress and send Jared Moskowitz, the least effective Democrat in Florida, packing. Instead of serving his constituents, Moskowitz has spent
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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NRCC Chairman Hudson Statement on FL-25
NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson (R-NC) released the following statement on Florida's 25th Congressional District primary election:
"Congratulations to America First patriot Scott Singer! As the Mayor of Boca Raton, Singer voted to cut taxes, balanced budgets, and created jobs. Floridians are fired up to send him to Congress and send Jared Moskowitz, the least effective Democrat in Florida, packing. Instead of serving his constituents, Moskowitz has spenthis time in Washington fighting to raise taxes while lining his own pockets trading stocks." - NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson
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Original text here: https://www.nrcc.org/2026/08/18/nrcc-chairman-hudson-statement-on-fl-25/
Democratic Governors Association: Ohioans for Lower Costs Releases First Ads in Ohio Governor's Race
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The Democratic Governors Association posted the following news:
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Ohioans for Lower Costs Releases First Ads in Ohio Governor's Race
Today, Ohioans for Lower Costs, a group backed by the Democratic Governors Association, is releasing two ads in Ohio's governor's race. One ad, "Back Up," highlights Dr. Amy Acton's powerful personal story, her grit, and her commitment to helping hardworking Ohioans. The other, "Conman," holds Vivek Ramaswamy accountable for spending his career ripping people off for his own personal gain.
A recent investigation revealed that Ramaswamy
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The Democratic Governors Association posted the following news:
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Ohioans for Lower Costs Releases First Ads in Ohio Governor's Race
Today, Ohioans for Lower Costs, a group backed by the Democratic Governors Association, is releasing two ads in Ohio's governor's race. One ad, "Back Up," highlights Dr. Amy Acton's powerful personal story, her grit, and her commitment to helping hardworking Ohioans. The other, "Conman," holds Vivek Ramaswamy accountable for spending his career ripping people off for his own personal gain.
A recent investigation revealed that Ramaswamy"served as the frontman for a dubious pharmaceutical company and then cashed out weeks before its dramatic crash." While the drug in question "had repeatedly failed in clinical trials," Ramaswamy hired his mother -- who "appears to have never conducted a clinical trial" -- to "massage data from old clinical trials to make the drug appear more promising."
See both ads here:
"Conman": https://us.list-manage.com/83KYBT8HnYd?e=4fd10becd9&c2id=a1a3e630a87022fb58473f70406321f6
Transcript:
Conman, Huckster, Swindler. They all describe Vivek Ramaswamy.
In nearly every job he's ever had, he's ripped people off to make a buck.
Backing a drug called garbage by a medical expert, selling stock in his company just before his drug failed a clinical trial.
Even peddling a drug to Alzheimer's patients that didn't work. Walking away from it all a billionaire.
Yes, Vivek Ramaswamy has been called a lot of things, but Governor should not be one of them.
"Back Up": https://us.list-manage.com/o5BOKGbuwVw?e=4fd10becd9&c2id=a1a3e630a87022fb58473f70406321f6
Transcript:
Amy Acton grew up in Youngstown, not always knowing where her next meal would come from or if she'd have a roof over her head.
But life isn't about getting knocked down. It's about getting back up.
So, she scraped, saved, and waitressed to put herself through med school and made a career out of helping people.
As governor, she'll take on the politicians and special interests robbing you blind just so they can make an extra buck.
She'll work for working people.
Amy Acton for governor.
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Original text here: https://democraticgovernors.org/updates/ohioans-for-lower-costs-releases-first-ads-in-ohio-governors-race/
DSCC Issues Statement on Alaska Senate Primary
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following statement on Aug. 19, 2026:
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DSCC Statement on Alaska Senate Primary
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement on the Alaska Senate primary:
"Mary Peltola is going to win this race and give Alaskans the voice they deserve in the U.S. Senate. A former commercial fisherman and lifelong Alaskan, Mary lives the values of fish, family, and freedom every day, fighting to restore abundance in Alaska and
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following statement on Aug. 19, 2026:
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DSCC Statement on Alaska Senate Primary
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement on the Alaska Senate primary:
"Mary Peltola is going to win this race and give Alaskans the voice they deserve in the U.S. Senate. A former commercial fisherman and lifelong Alaskan, Mary lives the values of fish, family, and freedom every day, fighting to restore abundance in Alaska andtake on the corrupt special interests that are leaving families behind. Dan Sullivan's actions are devastating Alaska - he has stripped away health care and voted to spike fuel prices, all while enriching himself.
"Alaska's future is at stake, and Mary Peltola is the candidate who will fight for it when Alaskans send her to the U.S. Senate in November."
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Original text here: https://www.dscc.org/article/dscc-statement-on-alaska-senate-primary/
Breaking: Telecom Industry Gave Mike Rogers Nearly $100k While He Pushed to Deepen Government Data Sharing [Michigan Advance]
LANSING, Michigan, Aug. 20 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
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BREAKING: Telecom Industry Gave Mike Rogers Nearly $100k While He Pushed to Deepen Government Data Sharing [Michigan Advance]
New reporting from Michigan Advance documents how Mike Rogers took nearly $100,000 from the telecom industry while he pushed to deepen government data sharing.
Rogers led efforts on CISPA, a controversial bill that would have allowed telecom companies and internet providers to "legally hand over swaths of private user data [...] without a warrant" while giving the companies
... Show Full Article
LANSING, Michigan, Aug. 20 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
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BREAKING: Telecom Industry Gave Mike Rogers Nearly $100k While He Pushed to Deepen Government Data Sharing [Michigan Advance]
New reporting from Michigan Advance documents how Mike Rogers took nearly $100,000 from the telecom industry while he pushed to deepen government data sharing.
Rogers led efforts on CISPA, a controversial bill that would have allowed telecom companies and internet providers to "legally hand over swaths of private user data [...] without a warrant" while giving the companies"broad immunity from civil and criminal lawsuits" if they shared that data with the government.
Then, upon leaving Congress, Rogers spun through the revolving door again and joined AT&T as one of their key advisers--guiding the company's strategy on "the same types of issues that came before him as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives." Rogers' post-congressional work with the telecom industry made him $2 million in income and assets that grew to $17.5 million--a dramatic windfall from advising the industries he once regulated.
Read more:
Michigan Advance (https://michiganadvance.com/2026/08/19/telecom-industry-gave-mike-rogers-nearly-100k-while-he-pushed-to-deepen-government-data-sharing/): Telecom industry gave Mike Rogers nearly $100K while he pushed to deepen government data sharing
* Michigan Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Rogers collected nearly $100,000 from key players in the telecommunications industry while serving in Congress and during his current Senate bid, including from companies whose interests aligned with legislation he introduced on government data sharing, according to federal campaign finance records and his congressional record.
* The trail of telecommunications money spans his time in the U.S. House, where he represented his mid-Michigan district from 2001 to 2015, to his current bid for the upper chamber of Congress, but also overlaps with his time in between holding office. After he left Congress, Rogers worked as a key security adviser for AT&T -- which is among his largest supporters in the telecommunications industry.
* Rogers' work with AT&T and its contribution to his campaign coincided with legislation he introduced that appeared to align with AT&T's lobbying efforts on behalf of legislation criticized by civil liberties groups, as well as their fight against net neutrality, which advocates have called one of the guiding regulation principles for a free and open internet.
* The contributions and Rogers' subsequent work in the telecommunications industry provide a window into his long record at the intersection of corporate influence, national security and consumer privacy -- issues that are likely to remain relevant if the former House Intelligence Committee chair returns to Congress as Michigan's next U.S. senator.
* Corporate PAC contributions from AT&T, Verizon and CTIA -- the trade association representing wireless communications in the United States -- to Rogers' various campaigns, total $95,000, and include his current bid for the U.S. Senate. That figure spans Federal Election Commission campaign finance records between 2006 and 2025.
* At least 21 different contributions were made to Rogers for Congress, Rogers for Senate and the candidate's Securing America's Future PAC, according to two decades' worth of financial reports, with AT&T, through its federal PAC, giving Rogers $56,000.
* Seventeen contributions from Verizon's PAC, and its pre-Citizens United "good government club," were made to Rogers' House campaigns and his PAC between 2007 and 2014. Verizon gave Rogers a total of $28,500 during that period.
* CTIA began giving to Rogers' House campaigns starting in 2008 and its last contribution to a Rogers-related committee was in 2013 to the Securing America's Future PAC. The association gave Rogers $10,000 over that period, FEC records show.
* Rogers led initiatives on government data sharing, net neutrality
* During his time in Congress, Rogers introduced the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, or CISPA. The bill would have allowed telecom companies and internet service providers, or ISPs, to legally hand over swaths of private user data, including personally identifiable customer information, to the federal government, including agencies such as the National Security Agency, without judicial oversight.
* Various civil liberties, consumer rights, conservative and libertarian political groups were among those opposed to CISPA, citing concerns that the language was dangerously vague and would allow the government to access vast quantities of personal information without a warrant.
* Rogers introduced the bill in November 2011. It passed the U.S. House but stalled in the U.S. Senate. In 2013, Rogers reintroduced the bill, but it continued to meet resistance in the upper chamber after clearing the House a second time in April 2013.
* Rogers also co-sponsored two resolutions in 2010 and 2011 that would have prevented the Federal Communications Commission from regulating the broadband industry, and could have curtailed net neutrality rules.
* Net neutrality is a regulatory principle that dictates equal treatment of internet communications from ISPs, allowing users to access content regardless of what that content is, what websites it appeared on, the platform or the application used to access that content, and the equipment, source address, destination or communication method.
* Free expression advocates have argued that the principle is key to maintaining a free and open internet infrastructure.
* Rogers defended legislation backed by telecommunications companies
* AT&T publicly supported and lobbied for the legislation, as the company would have benefited from its new allowances for personal data sharing, and would have had broad immunity from civil and criminal lawsuits if it shared cybersecurity data with the government. By November 2011, AT&T had already contributed $27,000 to Rogers' congressional campaigns, FEC records show.
* When the bill was reintroduced, both CTIA and US Telecom provided quotes to Rogers in news releases. AT&T is a member of both CTIA and US Telecom. By the time the bills were introduced and later reintroduced between 2011 and 2013, CTIA had given Rogers $6,000, FEC records show.
* Verizon joined AT&T, CTIA and US Telecom in lobbying for the changes announced in the legislation. Verizon had up to that point given Rogers $23,000.
* Rogers dismissed privacy concerns raised against his CISPA legislation, and argued in favor of telecommunication companies having liability protections in civil and criminal matters.
* He defended the NSA and other government agencies that conducted warrantless surveillance of American citizens, saying in 2013 that, "you can't have your privacy violated if you don't know your privacy is violated."
* When he was advocating for CISPA's passage, Rogers in 2013 claimed that the NSA didn't monitor citizens' use of the internet in the U.S. "Our NSA is not monitoring the Internet here in the United States," Rogers said then. "I can guarantee you that."
* The New York Times, however, in 2015 reported that AT&T helped the NSA conduct surveillance by tracking "vast quantities of Internet traffic passing through the United States," noting again that it did so in a decades-long partnership with just one company -- AT&T.
* Rogers went to work for AT&T, other telecoms after leaving office
* When he left federal office in 2015, Rogers kept up his ties with telecommunications, working with AT&T as its chief security adviser. The Detroit News in 2024, reporting on Rogers' past connections to Chinese firms through American telecommunication companies, confirmed that Rogers in 2016 worked with AT&T to advise them on cybersecurity.
* Rogers helped guide AT&T's strategy on the same types of issues that came before him as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, just one of several roles he held within the telecommunications industry after his time in Congress.
* Rogers was an advisory board member at Telefonica, a multinational telecommunications corporation operating largely in Latin America and Europe, between 2018 and 2024. One of its subsidiaries is Telefonica Movistar, operating in Venezuela.
* As the Advance reported in January of this year, a transparency report issued by Telefonica itself in 2022 revealed that a wide swath of data interceptions into the private communications of Venezuelan Telefonica Movistar customers at the behest of the authoritarian regime led by former President Nicolas Maduro.
* A report from Business Insider in 2024 noted that Rogers' post-congressional work in the telecommunication and cybersecurity industry earned him $2 million in income, and his assets grew to $17.5 million during that time.
* When Rogers sought the seat of former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) in 2024, a bid he lost to current U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly), AT&T's PAC gave Rogers $10,000 in campaign contributions, FEC records show.
* In his current bid against El-Sayed, Rogers has received $5,000 from AT&T's corporate PAC.
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Original text here: https://michigandems.com/telecom-industry-gave-mike-rogers-nearly-100k-while-he-pushed-to-deepen-government-data-sharing/
