Harris VP sweepstakes down to three candidates

Plus, audio clip shows Michigan congressional candidate rejects rape and incest exceptions for abortion bans.

Elon Musk’s pro-Trump America PAC is under investigation after it is alleged to have harvested voter data — such as ZIP codes, home addresses and phone numbers — in a way that may run afoul of Michigan law. 

"While the America PAC is a federal political action committee, the Department is reviewing their activities to determine if there have been any violations of state law. We will refer potential violations to the Michigan Attorney General's office as appropriate," a spokesperson for Jocelyn Benson, Michigan's secretary of state, wrote in a statement. Benson’s office has not clarified exactly which laws were potentially broken. 

Musk, the Silicon Valley billionaire and owner of the electric car firm Tesla and social media company X, created the PAC in light of claims that he planned to provide former President Donald Trump with a $45 million-a-month campaign donation. 

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to name her running mate on either Monday or Tuesday. Over the weekend, Harris spoke with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who are all considered the finalists. Walz and Shapiro could both aid Harris in key Midwestern battleground states. 

Walz in particular has become popular amongst liberal voters for aggressively prosecuting the case against GOP vice-presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) and his progressive social policies as governor. For example, Walz has signed off on stimulus checks and universal school lunches during his tenure. 

Shapiro, meanwhile, could be the more moderate choice. Much like Walz, the Pennsylvania governor has been very vocal about the prospects of a Harris presidency

Seen as the current frontrunner, Shapiro has faced a flurry of criticism. Since he was announced as a potential candidate, Shapiro has been excoriated for receiving financial backing from the “school choice” movement. As governor, Shapiro sought to expand school voucher programs in his state. Additionally, Shapiro has sought to expedite a scheduled corporate tax cut from 9.9% to 4.9%.

“We needed to have a more advantageous tax environment for our businesses, and it was one component of an overall strategy in order to grow jobs and create more economic opportunity in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said at an event with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last week.

Audio shows that GOP congressional candidate Tom Barrett opposes rape, incest exceptions for abortion bans

By Richard Eberwein

Congressional candidate Tom Barrett made an appearance on Charlie LeDuff’s “No BS News Hour” in 2022, where the Republican refused to support rape and incest exceptions for a hypothetical abortion ban.

During the interview, LeDuff brought up Barrett’s stance on abortion, where the former state senator indicated that he only supports exceptions in the case to save the life of the mother. When LeDuff pressed Barrett on rape and incest exceptions, Barrett danced around the issue and seemingly indicated that he does not support them.

“So again, I’m telling you that I believe life is worth protecting and life is valuable, and every life is important. And it tears at that fabric of life,” Barrett said.

Barrett went on to explain that he volunteers at pregnancy crisis centers with his wife. Crisis pregnancy centers are widely notorious for pretending to be medical clinics and spreading medical disinformation in order to intercept women that might get an abortion.

“Again, I am not someone who is in favor of abortion as a form a birth control or all these other scenarios that represent the overwhelming majority of abortions that take place in our country and in our state. I am someone who believes life is valuable, and we ought to protect all life to the extent that we’re able. There are certainly options that we have to help women in a truly crisis situation.”

Barrett’s campaign did not respond to an email request to clarify his views on rape and incest exceptions, or whether he would support a federal abortion ban if he were elected to Congress.

Barrett served in the Michigan state legislature from 2015-2023, as both a representative and a state senator. In 2022, Barrett unsuccessfully ran for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District seat against incumbent Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D) in what was one of the most expensive races that cycle.

At the time, Barrett took a firm stance against abortion in wake of the Supreme Court of the United States overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. Barrett opposed a state referendum to make reproductive freedom a constitutional right in Michigan, calling it “pretty extreme.” Barrett also removed the “values” section from his website in 2022, which said that he will “always work to protect life from conception.” Barrett’s current website does not mention abortion at all.

Barrett is again seeking Michigan’s 7th Congressional seat, and he will face fellow state Senator Curtis Hertel (D) this November. In April, a spokesperson from Barrett’s campaign told CNN that his stance on abortion has not changed. In February, Barrett indicated that he did not believe abortion would be a big factor in 2024 since his opponent is not a woman this time.