McDuffie must return the MAGA money

McDuffie must return donations from individuals who have given nearly $200,000 to Trump and his political committees

Washington, DC – In recent weeks, Brooke Pinto has drawn criticism because five donors to her congressional campaign have given a total of $30,000 to Trump. That pales in comparison to Kenyan McDuffie. McDuffie’s Mayoral campaign has taken cash from 26 Trump donors – four times as many as Pinto. McDuffie’s donors have made a total of $195,310.00 in donations to Trump and his political committees (more than six times as much as Pinto’s donors), which raises serious questions about how McDuffie might lead the District against unprecedented attacks and pressure from MAGA.

“McDuffie needs to return these donations and their public match immediately,” says Raymond A, a Shaw resident and member of UFCW Local 400. “There is no place in Washington DC for a leading mayoral candidate to accept money from people who’ve given hundreds of thousands to an administration bent on destroying home rule, brutalizing our immigrant neighbors and openly attempting to wreck our democracy.”

McDuffie has said he’s “open to working with” the Trump administration and failed to join other Council members to protest Trump’s occupation of DC at the Capitol. Of McDuffie’s 26 Trump donors, 21 have given the legal maximum to McDuffie’s campaign.  In total, across all of his campaigns, McDuffie has taken at least $14,235 from 37 total donors who gave at least $271,025.00 to Trump.

“D.C.’s Mayor won’t just have to stand up to Trump over our budget and attacks on our residents, they’ll need to manage the transfer of power in 2029,” says Jos Williams, Chair of Safe & Affordable D.C. and former President of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO. “Trump donors lining up behind Kenyan McDuffie tells us that they think he’s their best bet in the Wilson Building as they ramp up their assault on democracy over the next two years. That is exactly why we need Janeese Lewis George, a proven fighter with none of this baggage, to represent us in the tumultuous years ahead.”

McDuffie’s Trump donors include:

Douglas Jemal, a GOP megadonor who got a pardon from Trump after he donated $35,000 to the Trump campaign.  Jemal had been convicted of wire fraud and charged with bribing a DC government official.

David Carmen, a lobbyist whose lobbying firm was charged with violating lobbying disclosure laws by the Obama Administration and paid the largest lobbying disclosure penalty in history. Carmen was hired by Kanye West to help shore up his public image after he faced outrage for antisemitic remarks.

John Aycoth, whose business specializes in running PR for foreign governments. According to federal foreign agent filings, Aycoth was previously employed by Paul Manafort and Roger Stone’s lobbying firm.  Manafort and Stone were infamous Trump campaign figures who have both since been convicted of federal crimes. Aycoth was also alleged to have defrauded the government of Gambia but was ultimately acquitted.

Jauhar Abraham, who – along with his supposed charity – was ordered to pay in $638,000 penalties in a lawsuit brought by DC, accusing him of misusing District grant money, including to buy two luxury cars.

Roger Winston, a DC real estate lawyer who represented developers as they sought to impose backbreaking rent increases on senior citizens and who has publicly advocated against rent control laws.

Kevin Martin, a Bush Administration official who donated $100,000 to Donald Trump and who is now the Head of Global Policy at Meta (Facebook’s parent company), where he is a registered lobbyist. A Congressional investigation found Martin abused his power as George W. Bush’s FCC Chief.

Michael Barley, head of government relations for Pace-o-Matic, a video gambling company that has lobbied the Council and expanded into DC. 

Frank Fina, Chief Operating Officer of video gambling company Pace-O-Matic, which has lobbied the Council and expanded into DC.

John Klusaritz, a big law firm attorney who specializes in representing oil and gas interests, gas pipelines, and electric utilities.

Carlton Carroll, who worked in the Bush White House and was formerly a Senior Spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute – the oil industry’s lobby group.