Senate hopeful pledged ‘to sell my vote’ in fundraising page
A Nebraska Senate candidate, Dan Osborn, made headlines by publicly stating on a now-deleted fundraising page that he was willing “to sell my vote for low five figures, max.” This provocative claim aimed to differentiate him as an independent challenger against incumbent Senator Deb Fischer, whom Osborn accused of benefiting from corporate influence during her 12 years in Washington, D.C. Osborn, a U.S. Navy veteran and industrial mechanic, is gaining traction in the race and has been endorsed by a dark money group and billionaire Reid Hoffman. Critics, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, have condemned Osborn’s remarks as unethical, suggesting that they signify a new low in political discourse. Amidst these controversies, Osborn is attempting to position himself as a centrist alternative in a race without a Democratic candidate. The political climate continues to evolve as Osborn balances his funding sources and public assertions.
Nebraska Senate candidate pledged in fundraising page ‘to sell my vote’
EXCLUSIVE — An independent Senate candidate in Nebraska touted his willingness “to sell my vote for low five figures, max” in a recent fundraising page on his campaign’s website, the Washington Examiner found.
Dan Osborn, a U.S. Navy veteran and industrial mechanic, has mounted an unusually competitive challenge in the Cornhusker State against Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE). The independent candidate has sought to link Fischer to the “swamp” in Washington, D.C., claiming the Republican “spent 12 years grifting” off corporate influence. At the same time, Osborn is receiving a financial boost in the 2024 election from a dark money group in the nation’s capital, as well as from billionaire Democrat Reid Hoffman.
In a since-deleted Osborn campaign fundraising page, the candidate claimed he was “now accepting corporate PAC funds.”
“While Senator Deb Fischer has taken millions of dollars in corporate PAC funds, I am willing to sell my vote for low five figures, max,” read the page, archived versions of which are available through the online Wayback Machine software between April and September.
“If you have a corporate PAC, I pledge to you: I’ll take orders from you just like Senator Fischer at a fraction of the cost,” the page said in what appeared to be a tongue-in-cheek tone.
Speaking to the Washington Examiner, the National Republican Senatorial Committee said the page was like nothing the group had seen before in a race.
“This may be the first time I’ve ever seen a politician publicly say they are willing to accept bribes,” said Mike Berg, a spokesman for the NRSC.
“Dan Osborn is clearly too corrupt for Nebraska,” Berg said.
News of the ex-fundraising page, which linked to donation portals for PayPal and Venmo, comes as Osborn looks to frame Fischer as an out-of-touch elite.
But Osborn, the Washington Examiner reported, is being boosted in the race by a super PAC called Nebraska Railroaders for Public Safety that is funded by Hoffman and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a massive dark money group aligned with Democrats.
Controversy in the race also spilled over in October upon the Washington Examiner reporting that Nebraska labor union members were required to attend a campaign event for Osborn.
There is no Democratic candidate in the Senate race. Osborn has also come under fire for presenting himself as centrist despite his staff being fueled by “socialist operatives,” the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Meanwhile, according to a New York Post report, Osborn smeared Fischer’s staff in a donor call as “Hitler Youth frat boys.” The independent issued an apology for those comments soon after, according to a report in Omaha, Nebraska’s KETV.
The Osborn campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
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