His most recent report lists $26.5 in contributions from unions and fellow legislators. In-kind contributions, mostly from the Pa House Dem Campaign Commitee, appear to have funded at least three mailers.
What about his opponent, Taiba Sultana? She has filed, but her report is still unavailable on the state website. The state elections office informs me that data from some reports is still being imported. When I see her report, I will tell you about it.
I can tell you that an independent expenditure committee has been formed in opposition to Sultana. This committee, formed by Ray Lahoud and funded with $45,000 out of his own pocket, is exposing her as she should be exposed.
Lahoud, incidentally, is an immigration attorney and knows all about the plight of immigrants in this country. He needs no lectures from Sultana.
Who is PA Citizens PAC that’s spending a ton of money opposing Taiba?
ReplyDeletePa Citizen Pac is an organization formed by Ray Lahoud to oppose Taiba Sultana. It has raised $45,000, all of which has come from Ray, and is thankfully dedicated to letting the world know the unvarnished truth about Sultana.
ReplyDeleteLet them know Taiba Is a tier one #ladyboss who also exudes #browngirlmagic, the detractors are interested in upholding the patriarchy
DeleteDark $ being thrown to squash a BIPOC candidate and maintain the status quo of keeping Bob Freeman in a seat he has held for decades, it's a disgraceful ploy by Lahoud who is a traitor to his heritage by supporting a colonizer oppressor class over his marginalized brown desi sister Ray is part of the broken system Taiba intends upon hulk smashing
DeleteBye Taiba!!!!! You will never be an elected official in the LHV again. 80-20 on Tuesday. And that BS negative mailer she is sending out this week is trash like her. All made up lies.
Delete@ 1:03 You seem to be another traitor working WITH and against Taiba's campaign, possibly spying on her.
DeleteI’m sorry Bernie. But you aren’t telling us everything. For weeks now, we have heard from Sultana about all the dark money that Freeman has been raising, all of the big time elite donors, the big lobbyists. Why aren’t you reporting about all of them???? Could it be more lies from Sultana???? She is a terrible, terrible person. Wait until her negative mailer filled with her lies hits.
ReplyDeleteThere are no lies here. You can verify Freeman’s finance report to see how much contribution he has received from the political elites. Almost half of his campaign contribution came from politicians who may expect favors in return. Lahud’s money is considered dark money until we see his tax returns.
DeleteAnon 3:08PM: See his tax returns? Haha. What a joke. If you don’t like campaign finance laws, call your legislators. Lahoud is loaded dumbass. The dude has a massive property and development group together with his busy as fuck National immigration practice.
DeleteShe is not a good person. Someone has to end her constant political campaigning. She’s so annoying.
ReplyDeleteDo you know who has been “constantly” running his campaign for the past 40000000 years? That's your buddy Freeman! Are you not annoyed? Oh I see!
DeleteWhere is all the “Dark money” Taiba has been telling everyone about???
ReplyDeleteIt’s a lie. It’s not dark money, it’s from a legal source and a wealthy individual well established in the Lehigh Valley.
DeleteBernie - is Lahoud’s pac the same one that keeps going after the Wee Baby MacKenzie as well? I heard rumors that Lahoud wanted the Child to lose this upcoming Republican primary. Just wondering if you know of any connections there.
ReplyDeleteRyan is bought and paid for by the Koch brothers. Everyone in Harrisburg knows Ryan is a Koch sucker.
DeleteAll that wasted money for Bobby F in what will be a losing cause.
ReplyDeleteYou are more dumb than Taiba. Did you help her create the negative mailer that’s hitting against BOb this week??? Great Job by Mr. Lahoud. Way to take out the trash
DeleteSultana is disgusting and awful and horribly racist. Also, PACs should be illegal. Donations should be limited to $25 each. Buying government is bad, regardless of the issue dujour. Nobody vetted Ray Lahoud. I've heard it may be a bit sketchy. Koch brothers, Soros, Jaindl, Lahoud: all bad for democracy and regular, unwealthy citizens. They and their money should be looked at as filthy; even worse than cartel-laundered money.
ReplyDeleteTaiba needs to understand, that she will never win an election in the Lehigh Valley again. Every time she tries, she will be constantly exposed. Even her endorsers are embarrassed and receiving calls about their support of Taiba and they vow that it won’t happen again. It has nothing at all to do with her skin color, religion or her sex. It has all to do with her being a genuinely bad person who lies, cheats and steals
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely correct. My guess is she loses somewhere in the 80% to 20% range and it becomes clear she will never be elected in the area again.
DeleteAfter that, I’d say the odds of her moving to run elsewhere are extremely high.
"Dark $ being thrown to squash a BIPOC candidate and maintain the status quo of keeping Bob Freeman in a seat he has held for decades, it's a disgraceful ploy by Lahoud who is a traitor to his heritage by supporting a colonizer oppressor class over his marginalized brown desi sister Ray is part of the broken system Taiba intends upon hulk smashing"
ReplyDeleteI'd agree there should be limits on how much money one person can pour into political contests. Hate the game, not the playa'. Lahoud's money is not "dark". It's his own money and he is himself Lebanese. He is more familiar than most of us with what is happening in the Middle East and obviously thinks that the message being spewed by Taiba is venomous.
It is one thing to oppose Netanayhu. I oppose Netanayhu. It is quite another to oppose Israel. Sultana opposes Israel. But that is just one of her many problems. She has been divisive on Council, has failed to represent her own constituents while constantly harping on national and international issues, misses far too many committee meetings, and reacts to constructive criticism by raging against those who disagree with her. She has had a car booted over failure to pay parking tickets, was cited for failure to maintain her own property and was arrested for assaulting her adult son. She has anger management issues. She should work on herself before deciding how to fix our system.
I don't support Netanyahu. I do support steamrolling all of Gaza and Lebanon, which has been a friendly nest for 9/11 types from the dawn of its history. Lebanon should be flattened and turned to glass and rebuilt without its animals. Lebanese who care so much about that hell hole, should immediately pack and leave for Lebanon. $45K will go a long way toward rebuilding a civilized Lebanon. Same with Israeli flaks and American-hating Sultana types. Enough already. Bye.
ReplyDeleteI have spoken to Ray about the question of Lebanon multiple times. Ray is Catholic and he has long stood firmly in support of Israel. He is of the position that Lebanon and Israel can and must become friendly countries, working together to achieve a better, greater Middle East. The issue that stands in the way of this is Hezbollah. Hezbollah is the biggest obstacle to the development and return of Lebanon to its days of glory. This terror group has destroyed what could be the Lebanon of today and is keeping the country in the dark ages, literally. Maybe Israel should go into Lebanon and take down Hezbollah next.
ReplyDeleteLahoud has always been a fan and supporter of Israel. While much blame is put on Israel today, the fact of the matter is, that Hamas had already destroyed Gaza and instilled the fear of God in its people. That's no way for the good people of Gaza who are not involved in the awful terror group to live.
But, this isn't even about the Middle East, so why is this even of debate? The problem with Taiba is that she wants to be Secretary of State instead of a City Council person.
Maybe she should deal with Easton first.
Anon 7:43 AM: Ray was born in Pennsylvania, which makes him a US Citizen. He can donate in accordance with federal and state law. If you do not like that, then you should call your members of congress and the state assembly. Your absurd comment "Nobody vetted Ray Lahoud. I've heard it may be a bit sketchy" is just that -- absurd. What the f*ck are you talking about? Vetting? He's been a part of the Lehigh Valley his entire life. It incorrectly implies some bullshit that you have in your mind.
ReplyDeleteAs for Soros and the Koch brothers, I would say that Lahoud is in the middle - more of a libertarian that supports the person, not the party. Maybe we need more people like that.
Anon 7:14 AM: Ray is an American first -- and owes no allegiance to any country other than the United States.
ReplyDeleteIt is those that talk like Taiba that are traitors.
Taiba is just like Trump. Lies, cheats and steals and when she gets caught she plays the victim. She’s hateful, treacherous and not very intelligent. Let her go to Pakistan and Make it Great Again
DeleteThe misogyny of Bernies blogs and deranged neocon posters is only surpassed by the darkest corners of PornHub. They fear an empowered brown woman more than the fear from leaving the cozy confines of their parental basement. These trogladytes should be ee3ducated forcibly Ala " A Clockwork Orange"
ReplyDeleteYou sound as bad as The Champ, Taiba. Easton and the 136 doesn’t have a problem with brown women they have a problem with Taiba. And let me say as a minority, Taiba should stop using “a person of color”. She looks white and from India. She has more benefits than any black or brown person. She doesn’t represent us. Hell, did you see how nice the police treated her???? Let her hug her kids for 15 minutes, let her reach into her car and go to the police car uncuffed. Which other person of color gets that treatment????
DeleteUnfortunately, Sultana much like Zirinski is too flawed to vote for any office. However, the late Bob Freeman should have gotten a real job years ago. He is part of the problem. He is one of the reasons we need term limits. You could put a blow-up doll in his seat and get the same results.
ReplyDeleteHe much like all the state reps in both parties have outlived any usfulnees. It has become a name recognition and idol worship, so once again I am doomed to vote for no state rep in the primary.
At least Zirinski as well as many other politicians were smart enough to attend, only the biggest funeral in all of the Lehigh Valley. She wasn't even at the viewing. Where was Taiba?
ReplyDeleteThe Easton Lebanese community hate Taiba and are 100% behind Freeman
DeleteAs a Lebanese American, I can say— we can’t stand sultana.
DeleteAnon 10:41, That just proves that Taiba doesn't know her constituents.
ReplyDeleteTaiba does not deserve to ne elected to any office. Her door hanger says and I will paraphrase "Let's make history together and vote for the first woman to represent our district." No research again. She speaks without knowing and refuses to do her research. This District was represented by the later Jeanette Reibman and this district elected her to State Representative in 1954 and she served there from 1955-1964 when she was elected State Senator Jeantte wasn't elected because she was a woman, she was elected because she was qualified, respected and an upstanding member of the community --- everything Sultana is NOT and will never be.
ReplyDeleteYou are part of the machine that will be dismantled and built back better by the new generation of conscious public servants whose diversity is their strength. Old white boomers are past their expiration time to purge, it will be messy but needed to transcend the manifest destiny America to an inclusive version worthy of out marginalized bodies.
Delete@4:38 - A simple Google search revealed that no woman has been elected as a state representative in District 136 since its inception. Taiba is correct and you are wrong.
DeleteTaiba, you obviously can’t google well, and you need to learn about local political women who represented (136th) years before you were even on this planet.
DeleteSuggest you not make a fool of yourself anymore and ask the old boomers in the area who the real women, like Jeanette Reibman were, that did the honest, truthful political work to gain respect, unlike you.