Obama alums double down on soliciting LA wildfires donations on Dem fundraising site: 'F--- you'
Former Obama administration staffers are doubling down on their controversial decision to solicit Los Angeles wildfire charitable donations through a left-wing political fundraising site, telling their "rightwing a--hole" critics, "f--k you."
"Pod Save America" hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor defended using the lefty fundraising site ActBlue via Vote Save America – which boasts of having raised nearly $64 million for "progressive causes and candidates" – after online critics accused them of exploiting the tragedy as a ruse to collect donors’ email addresses.
"For some reason, a bunch of right-wing media people and Republican operatives spent the weekend accusing us and Vote Save America of running a scam and stealing money from fire victims in our own f--king city and soliciting people's contact info so we can do political fundraising," former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau said.
The podcast hosts faced an avalanche of criticism over the weekend, with several users on X accusing them of shady fundraising practices.
"They want your e-mails and contact info more than they want to help anyone with fire relief, is my guess," blasted National Review writer Jeff Blehar in a Jan. 11 post on X.
"F--k you," Favreau shot back on X.
"1. We don't bother people who donate through our relief funds 2. People on VSA email lists are there because they opt in or sign up 3. The only reason we organize relief funds this way is so people don't have to go to multiple sites to give, and we can vet all the local orgs ahead of time," he added.
"Funneling disaster relief through Democrat Super PACs (or diverting money from disaster giving to Democrat super PACs) is a pretty perfect representation of why nobody trusts today’s Democrats," Republican political operative Matt Whitlock posted.
Fellow Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett responded that Whitlock was among the "rightwing a--holes" whose "lies" were "drawing much needed attention" to the fundraiser.
Favreau said the accusations had made him "angrier and more upset than anything in a really long time" and claimed that they were not using the fund to siphon off money or collect email addresses. ActBlue Charities merely charges a 4% credit card processing fee with all other money going directly to local relief organizations, Favreau explained.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has also faced backlash for using ActBlue to raise funds for disaster victims in his state. A spokesman for Newsom denied that the money was going towards the governor or his super PAC in a statement to Fox News Digital.