from al Maydeen English
The Israeli government is running advertisements on Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) podcast, “Verdict with Ted Cruz,” raising questions about whether the staunchly pro-"Israel" lawmaker could indirectly benefit from foreign government-funded advertising through an arrangement involving the show’s revenue, according to reporting by Connor Echols, managing editor of Responsible Statecraft, and Nick Cleveland-Stout, a research associate at the Quincy Institute, in an article published by Responsible Statecraft.
iHeartMedia, a major radio and podcast company, has syndicated Cruz’s program since 2022. Because of restrictions related to lobbying, the company is prohibited from paying the senator advertising revenue directly. However, an alternative arrangement allows revenue generated by the show to benefit a political committee supporting Cruz.
Under a licensing agreement, iHeartMedia agreed to donate revenue “associated with (the show’s) advertising sales” to the Truth and Courage PAC, a super PAC committed to “ensuring that Ted Cruz is re-elected to the United States Senate.” Federal Election Commission filings show that the company has contributed at least $1,738,000 in “digital revenue” to the PAC since 2023...
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