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Dark money group offers influencers $1,500 for posts attacking Chicago Democratic primary candidate (www.ms.now)
submitted 7 months ago by to c/politics@lemmy.world
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A week out from a crowded and contentious Democratic primary in Illinois’s 9th Congressional District, Amanda Informed, an online influencer in Florida received an email with an offer: one negative post about candidate Kat Abughazaleh on Instagram and TikTok, for $1,500.

The request, which came from a secretive political organization called Democracy Unmuted, was forwarded to her by Matt Anthes, founder of Advocators, a digital marketing agency focused on politics and advocacy through micro-influencers.

...

It’s unclear how many creators were ultimately part of the Democracy Unmuted campaign.

MS NOW found several recent creator videos that seemed to follow the Democracy Unmuted brief targeting Abughazaleh.

One, from Justin Kralemann, a Missouri creator who posts about progressive politics, recited whole sentences from the Democracy Unmuted brief. Kralemann, wearing a white hat with “WOKE” emblazoned on the front, mispronounced Abughazaleh’s name and told his combined one million followers on Instagram and TikTok that it was important “to look past viral personalities and ask who is running and why” — a quote matching a suggested quote in the brief.

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[–] 74 points 7 months ago (6 children)

It’s Israel.

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  • [–] 27 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    It could also be the dnc. But .. I guess that's still Israel when it comes down to it.

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  • [–] 9 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    Nah two weeks AIPAC launched the most ridiculous attack ad on Kate claiming she was taking money from Trump/Rubio.

    They discovered that some billionaires had made substantial donations to be campaign which returned (and where they could, have food banks).

    Hence AIPACs latest move to use dark money to run bullshit attacks against her

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    • [–] 15 points 7 months ago

    And just like with the $7000 per post supporting the Zionist mureders, the money is just a mirage. It will never actually be paid.

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    [–] 11 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

    Kinda shows their bot game is trash

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    [–] 2 points 7 months ago

    Dark money being used for political power? never heard people needing to be murdered harder then this.

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    [–] 2 points 7 months ago*

    Abughazaleh is awesome. She was just a guest on Behind the Bastards - she’s been doing a lot of researching/keeping up with/exposing the alt right for several years now.

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    [+] -7 points 7 months ago (4 children)
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  • [–] 6 points 7 months ago

    In other words: You're a traitor who sold out everyone else to make a buck.

    Why the fuck you think that's bragworthy is an entirely different discussion. Personally, I hope you step on nothing but nails for the rest of your life.

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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago

    If it were just trolling to piss people off I almost wouldn’t care. But when that trolling influences people to make decisions that get people killed or black bagged out of the country, I have an issue with that.

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    • [+] -20 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    Typical Democratic Party being behind the times. Just get an OpenAI bot to do it.

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    • 5 comments in c/politics@beehaw.org view that post
    [–] 13 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    I guarantee this is akin to cockroaches. Knowing about this one instance is bad, but I'm sure other groups keep a tighter lid on such operations.

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  • [–] [S] 7 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    yep, absolutely. this reeks of desperation and an overly-rushed attempt at ratfucking Kat.

    this only made the news because one person (Amanda Informed) got sent the offer, and decided to tell a journalist about it rather than simply accept or decline it.

    the lesson that they're going to take from this is not "don't use influencers to ratfuck candidates" it's "be more cautious about which influencers you try to recruit"

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  • [–] 6 points 7 months ago

    I think you're absolutely right. They're just going to tighten up their vetting process and keep going. One little media exposure is definitely not going to stop them, and it's not like we know who they are anyway, so there's no one to actually blame. And come to think of it, even if we did know who they were, they are, as powder hoard mentioned, like roaches. If you squish one, then it's not going to kill the whole colony.

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    • 4 comments in c/progressivepolitics@lemmy.world view that post
    [+] 20 points 7 months ago (4 children)
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  • [–] 11 points 7 months ago

    Especially because she’s made a whole schtick of making attack ads against herself.

    I can’t remember the last campaign I was this motivated to donate to. Her entire approach to campaigning is worthy of supporting even if she was polling dead last.

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  • [+] -7 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    Tell me you fell victim to the Israeli psyop without telling me you fell victim to the Israeli psyop.

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  • [+] 5 points 7 months ago (2 children)
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  • [+] -8 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    How about you enlighten me as to exactly what your claim is?

    Because as far as I'm aware Kat has been operating her campaign facilities as a mutual aide hub. Which I believe would meet your qualifier.

    And since I think we both know that isn't the fault you wish to seek with Kat, it would be best if you just make your criticism of the candidate clear.

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  • [+] 6 points 7 months ago (1 child)
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  • [–] -5 points 7 months ago*

    Well there is a whole operation shrouding their criticism in layers of sarcasm and inuendo, which is firmly rooted in at least parts of Lemmy. Forgive me for interpretating your comment as written.

    Maybe some drank the Kool aid in good faith, maybe some in bad. It's neither here nor there to me and I've not much patience for the obsequiousness of veiled sarcasm.

    There is a chance to get a good progressive elected here. There is a real operation to stop them.

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