Former President Donald Trump is planning a fundraising jaunt through California, which could prove awkward for Congressional Republicans in swing districts of the Golden State, Politico reported.
Trump will be meeting with tech investors in San Francisco at the home of venture capitalist David Sacks and then host fundraisers in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach. The fundraisers come after Trump was convicted of 34 felony charges in a scheme to allegedly influence the 2016 election by calling a payment to lawyer Michael Cohen a "legal expense."
The trial and subsequent conviction marked the first time a former president has been tried or convicted in a criminal case.
Following the verdict, California Republican Reps. Mike Garcia, Michelle Steel, and David Valadao have all remained mum, despite repeated requests for comment, Politico said.
Rep. John Duarte, who is running for reelection in the state's Central Valley, said he was disappointed with the prosecution in a TV interview.
Scott Baugh, who is running for a seat in Orange County, and Riverside County Rep. Ken Calvert said the prosecutors had partisan motives, Politico reported.
California Republicans must balance whether to alienate swing voters by supporting Trump or face possible criticism from the Trump campaign, like Larry Hogan, former Maryland governor and Republican senate candidate did after he told people to respect the verdict, Politico said.
The House candidates are expected to keep their distance from Trump while he's in the state, according to Politico. One prominent California Republican said he didn't think Trump would lash out against them.
"Despite the veneer that he puts out, [Trump] understands that to win each of these individual House seats, the candidates have to have their own strategy to win," former California GOP executive director Jon Fleischman told Politico. "He knows that there are districts where raising a Trump flag does not help you."
Following the verdict, Sequoia Capital Partner Shaun Maguire announced he was donating $300,000 to his campaign while Doug Leone, a former Sequoia partner, said he would back Trump's reelection bid.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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