Users of Parler, a conservative social media network, criticized Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler on Wednesday for soliciting political donations on the platform. Loeffler is running a race that will determine the party’s control of the United States Senate.
A Parler user called Loeffler a “traitor” for no longer strongly supporting President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the November presidential election. Another asked why she needed donations, considering that she is a “billionaire”.
An assessment of Forbes estimates Loeffler to be “the richest person on Capitol Hill” with a fortune of at least $ 800 million.
Several Parler users responded to the donation request by stating, “You are a billionaire. Why are you always begging for money?”, “You will never receive a cent from us, Georgia Patriots. NEVER”, “Meth Barbie says what?” And “WE need YOU to support President Trump, you traitor B!”
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A recent Bloomberg News report showed that Loeffler was outdone by his Democratic opponent Raphael Warnock.
From October 15 to December 16, Loeffler raised $ 64 million in political donations and had $ 21.3 million remaining in his campaign account on December 24. By comparison, Warnock raised $ 103.4 million during the same period and had $ 22.8 million in cash remaining in his campaign on December 24th.
In December 2019, Loeffler was appointed to the Senate by Georgia Governor Ben Kemp, after then Senator Johnny Isakson resigned on health grounds. She then had to defend her seat in a special election on November 3. As she did not win a majority of the votes during the general election, she now has to face Warnock again in the second round of January 5.
With a week to go until the state’s second special round, more than half a dozen surveys conducted in the past two weeks have shown Democratic candidates as tied or swapping leadership positions within the margin of error against their Republican opponents. The race will determine Senate party control.
Loeffler’s husband, Jeff Sprecher, is the CEO of Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange. Before becoming a senator, Loeffler was a senior executive at ICE.
She reportedly took $ 9 million with her in shares and stock options that she was supposed to lose on leaving the company. This was in addition to his 2019 salary and bonus of about $ 3.5 million, according to a copy of his revised financial disclosure form by The New York Times.
Although Loeffler refused to accept the results of the November presidential election, in mid-December she said she “did not consider” whether she would oppose the election results if she voted for the Senate.
“I didn’t look at that,” said Loeffler, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “January 6 is a long way to go and there is a lot to play there.”
Asked if she disputed the election results by calling for the race for President-elect Joe Biden, Loeffler avoided acknowledging Biden’s victory and said, “My focus now is on my race.”
Both she and Georgia Republican Senator David Perdue, who is also running for re-election in Georgia’s runoff, refused to accept the election results.
Newsweek contacted Loeffler for comment.