'Draft Tucker' PAC Shuts Down Following Legal Threat From Carlson
That didn't take long.
A Political Action Committee (PAC) formed to try and convince former Fox News host Tucker Carlson to run for president in 2024 has shut down following a legal threat from Carlson.
Carlson's lawyer, Harmeet Dhillon, sent a cease-and-desist letter to the PAC on Monday.
"Mr. Carlson will not run for President in 2024 under any circumstances, and therefore your misrepresentations are damaging to Mr. Carlson and defrauding his supporters," Dhillon wrote in the letter obtained by The Hill. "If you do not immediately cease and desist your efforts to solicit money to ‘draft’ Mr. Carlson, we will use every legal means at our disposal to vindicate his rights and protect his supporters from these misrepresentations."
Dhillon added that the PAC did “not have Mr. Carlson’s permission or support to use his name, image, or likeness in your efforts,” accusing them of doing so “for your own benefit” to later sell donor lists, and that taking funds would lead to donors’ “disappointment and frustration.”
The threat came just days after the PAC unveiled its first ad, which was set for a weeklong run on Newsmax. The ad praised Carlson for mocking “woke nonsense” and asserted that “no one is more articulate and pins down leftists in both parties.” -The Hill
Dhillon's letter resulted in the Draft Tucker PAC asking Newsmax to pull the Draft Tucker PAC ads currently running on the network.
"Tucker’s attorney has contacted us to let us know that Tucker is not a candidate for president nor has any intentions of running and asked us to cease all activities on his behalf. We are going to honor that request," said spokesman and GOP consultant Charlie Kolean in a statement.
The PAC's chairman, Chris Ekstrom - also a financial backer, told The Hill that they had raised just $212 online so far after he put in $35,000 of his own funds. The PAC will give the $212 to a charity Carlson supports, or it will issue refunds.
"I’d like to add that I am TOTALLY OPPOSED to SCAMPAC’s & have NEVER profited (unlike Harmeet) from my political activities," Ekstrom - a former Texas congressional candidate and GOP donor - told The Hill via text message. "Indeed, I have spent a great deal of money exposing the narcissistic perfidy rampant in Republican politics. Especially at the so-called “top”; which, in reality is a abysmal SEWER of losers, weaklings & liars."
Ekstrom slammed Dhillon, who staged an unsuccessful bid to oust Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel earlier this year.
"We assume Carlson expressed his wishes through this ridiculous Wanna Be Failed Politician & TV lawyer," Ekstrom said, calling Dhillon a "failed politician that wouldn’t know or understand a good political move unless it’s the immediate gratification of grandstanding for fools & know-nothings on Twitter."
"The facts do not line up. Carlson is a PUBLIC FIGURE & might have been subject to a political Draft movement at anytime. I now regret lifting a finger to assist her quixotic attempt at RNC Chair. She might have been WORSE than Ronna!"
Carlson has repeatedly rebuffed calls to run for president.
"On behalf of Tucker Carlson, we are pleased that this unauthorized use of his name and likeness to raise funds and gather data from his supporters, has been brought to an end without the need for litigation," Dhillon said in a statement. "Mr. Carlson looks forward to sharing his new projects with the public in the near future."
