American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) PACS have been flooded with donations since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Congressional Candidate in California District 19 (Santa Cruz to Paso Robles) Sean Dougherty is running against incumbent Jimmy Panetta, an establishment Democrat whose father, Leon Panetta, served as Chief of Staff for Bill Clinton, and as both CIA Director and Defense Secretary under President Obama.
Dougherty called a press conference on Feb. 28 at the Santa Cruz, CA County Courthouse to discuss Panetta’s “windfall” contributions from the AIPAC PAC, totaling $184,400.00. Panetta received the largest, single-day donation from the AIPAC PAC in December of 2023—more than any other Congressional candidate. And this amount represents Panetta’s largest single donation. Why is the AIPAC PAC spending so much money on this California Congressional district?
Ami Chen Mills interviews Sean about campaign finance; polling figures on the American public’s feelings about a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza; big money in US political campaigns; why Jimmy Panetta is being accused of voting to “end social security,” according to critics–and what the candidate (Sean) would do with the US military budget, after cutting it in half, if elected.
A special Talk of the Bay news segment produced by the Moment of the Truth team.
Notes and Resources:
Sean Dougherty website: www.SeanforPeace.com
The Lever Online News and Commentary: https://www.levernews.com/
On AIPAC’s new funds and how it is spending them: https://www.levernews.com/inside-the-israel-lobbys-new-90-million-war-chest/
Interviews with global journalists on the ongoing death toll and destruction in Gaza, and on AIPAC funds. Plus: US Senate Candidates and more–excellent and in-depth election coverage from Rose Aguilar at Your Call (a KSQD morning program produced by Pacifica’s KALW): https://www.kalw.org/people/rose-aguilar
