Eli Crane Sends Clear Message to Swamp After Rep Posts Donation Records: ‘I Can’t Be Bought’

A rebel House Republican who voted to oust former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy isn’t backing down from his defiance to the party establishment. Arizona freshman Rep. Eli Crane rebuked the notion that he owed any loyalty to McCarthy because of previous campaign expenditures to secure his election. Journalist Matthew Foldi pointed out that the McCarthy-controlled National Republican Congressional Committee was the single biggest donor in support of Crane’s election in November. Crane, a former Navy SEAL, was the beneficiary of more than $2.7 million in NRCC spending.

So Eli Crane has now voted against both Kevin McCarthy and Tom Emmer for Speaker

McCarthy’s @CLFSuperPAC and Emmer’s @NRCC were the two single largest spenders in Crane’s race last year, spending ~$3,000,000 to elect him before he voted against them With friends like these… https://t.co/DDtI7dx8hY pic.twitter.com/Yl0rxBxPth — Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) October 24, 2023

Crane was one of eight House Republicans who succeeded in dethroning McCarthy as speaker, according to the Arizona Republic. The freshman Republican had earlier aided McCarthy in obtaining the speaker’s gavel in January — switching his ‘no’ vote to ‘present.’ [firefly_poll] Crane pointed to his votes against McCarthy as consistent with his campaign promises, according to The New York Times. Crane clarified that his vote to remove McCarthy wasn’t subject to his campaign spending. “A rare public admission of how the Swamp defines friendship and service.”

A rare public admission of how the Swamp defines friendship and service.

I can’t be bought. https://t.co/rtDyHTzoAD — Eli Crane for Congress (@EliCraneAZ) October 25, 2023

“I can’t be bought.” The RNCC exists to elect Republicans to the House of Representatives — regardless of their preferences for caucus leadership. After McCarthy’s removal, Crane expressed his preference for a new Speaker without experience in the previous leadership of the House Republican caucus.

.@RepEliCrane tells me he’s not supporting Emmer because of his voters back home, who he says want an outsider speaker candidate who hasn’t served in leadership.

But Crane has some praise for Emmer and credits him as someone who doesn’t lie to members — Max Cohen (@maxpcohen) October 24, 2023

Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson is the newest Republican nominee for Speaker of the House, according to The Washington Post. It’s unclear whether Crane intends to vote for Johnson in a floor vote.

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    This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.