Millionaire Gelser turns to California billionaire to try to buy election

Oregon Senate Republicans

Salem, OR – Only one day after Sara Gelser disingenuously complained about outside money trying to “distort” her record (she notably failed to identify a single distortion), it was revealed that Sara Gelser will receive massive in-kind contributions from billionaire California hedge fund manager, Tom Steyer, to help push their extreme anti-middle class agenda.

“It comes as no surprise that Gelser, a millionaire who built her fortune on gambling addiction, big banking, and big oil profits would turn to another member of the 1% club,” said Senator Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day). “This is a desperate gambit to hide her record of raising taxes on average Oregonians while voting for special interest tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthy.” In fact, Gelser has already received significant contributions from Nevada gambling tycoons and wealthy Oregon trial lawyers.

Millionaire Gelser and billionaire Steyer actually have much in common. Both hypocritically claim allegiance to extreme environmental positions despite personally profiting from major investments in fossil fuels–Gelser in big oil like Exxon Mobile and Steyer in big coal. Both brazenly advocate for tax loopholes that allegedly “help” the environment but actually benefit companies they have invested in, while diverting money from public schools. Further, both have advocated for a new “carbon tax” that will significantly raise the cost of basic utilities, consumer goods, and transportation, which will disproportionally hurt middle-class families and fixed-income seniors. Gelser has profited from stock in big Wall Street banks that profited from taxpayer bailouts, like AIG, Bank of America, JP Morgan, American Express and Wells Fargo.

“Millionaire Gelser and billionaire Steyer, while pandering to the 99%, are in fact the 1%,” said Ferrioli. “There ‘do what I say, not as I do’ approach to government allows them to profit from extremist policies that hurt the middle class. Don’t let them buy this election.”