John,
In the words of at least one billionaire, “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.”[1]
That’s PayPal and Facebook billionaire Peter Thiel (pronounced “Teal”) who considers “freedom” his ability to exploit our rigged economy and tax system, building a net worth of $5.3 billion in the process. Thiel grew his fortune by 130% just during the pandemic alone.[2]
But, beyond dodging millions of dollars in taxes by exploiting Roth IRA retirement accounts, Peter Thiel is also bankrolling right-wing candidates who are hostile toward our democracy, most recently spending a combined $25 million on the 2022 Ohio and Arizona U.S. Senate races alone.[3][4]
His (and Donald Trump’s) candidate, J.D. Vance, who worked for Thiel at his venture capital firm just won the Republican primary in Ohio. Still to come is the outcome of the Arizona Republican primary, where Thiel has placed his bets on Blake Masters.
Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s former chief strategist told the New York Times:
“I don’t think it’s just about flipping the Senate. I think Peter wants to change the direction of the country.”[5]
We’re fighting back, shining a spotlight on “The Right’s Would-Be Kingmaker.” Help us bring our latest infographic, below, to millions of people and fight back against billionaires trying to steal our elections.
Combined, since the pandemic began, America’s 740 billionaires have seen their wealth skyrocket by $2 trillion, or 70%.[6] Billionaires like Peter Thiel are using just a fraction of their new-found wealth to elect right-wing candidates who, in his words, will “[make] the world safe for capitalism.”
Don’t let billionaires like Peter Thiel steal our elections. Pitch in today to shine a spotlight on their greed and manipulation of our economy, tax system and democracy.
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Thank you for fighting for the future of our country.
Frank Clemente
Executive Director
Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund
[1] “The Education of a Libertarian,” CATO Unbound, April 13, 2009
[2] “This Tax Day, America’s Working Families Are Paying Their Fair Share But America’s Billionaires Are Not,” Americans for Tax Fairness, April 14, 2022
[3] “A mole hunt, a secret website and Peter Thiel's big risk: How J.D. Vance won his primary,” Politico, May 3, 2022
[4] “Peter Thiel-tied dark money group helping bankroll super PAC spending on 2022 election,” OpenSecrets, February 22, 2022
[5] “The Right’s Would-Be Kingmaker,” New York Times, February 14, 2022
[6] “This Tax Day, America’s Working Families Are Paying Their Fair Share But America’s Billionaires Are Not,” Americans for Tax Fairness, April 14, 2022
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