Current Events > seems like Ted Cruz's campaign might have used donor funds to...

(+) Yeah! (+)

...get his book on best seller list:

On November 7, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) published his fourth book, Unwoke: How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America.

Like his previous works, Unwoke made the New York Times best-seller list for hardcover nonfiction, debuting at no. 7 (it dropped to no. 13 the following week, then fell off the list).

Earlier in February, Cruzs reelection campaign issued a press release, touting the New York Times ranking and encouraging supporters to Join thousands of freedom-fighting Americans who have purchased Sen. Cruzs new book.

Unwoke sold 41,800 copies through Feb. 10, according to Circana BookScan, an industry data service. But it wasnt just freedom-fighting Americans snapping it up. Like two of Cruzs previous best sellers, the Times listing noted that bulk sales boosted sales of Unwoke.

Recent filings show that Cruzs campaign has spent tens of thousands of dollars in donor funds purchasing books from retailers in recent months, likely copies of Cruzs latest work. In a report filed with the Federal Election Commission last month, the campaign disclosed paying Books-A-Million $2,500 for books on October 2. Ted Cruz for Senate issued a second payment to that retailer for $21,000 on November 20. Then, in the first week of December, Cruzs campaign paid the Richard Norman Company, a political fundraising and communication agency, another $29,000 for books.

Since at least November 18, Cruzs campaign has offered copies of Unwoke in exchange for contributions of at least $50, with signed copies going for $100 or more.

The Federal Election Commission allows campaigns to buy the candidates own books, as long as the candidate doesnt receive royalties from the transaction.

A spokesperson for Cruz would not say whether the campaigns purchases were for the senators book, but did say that Cruz abides by campaign ethics laws. Senator Cruz receives no royalties from the sale of his books, including those purchased by his campaign, the spokesperson said.

Unwoke was published by Regnery. In January 2022, Cruz inked a two-book deal with the publisher that landed him a $1.1 million advance, according to a personal financial disclosure.

Even though a candidate may not profit directly when their campaign buys their book, there are indirect benefits. Publishers may be more generous when negotiating book deals if they know the lawmaker can tap into campaign funds to make a five-figure purchase. And bulk purchases can thrust a book onto best-seller lists, generating publicity and more sales.

Two of Cruzs previous best-sellers, One Vote Away and Justice Corrupted, also benefited from bulk sales, according to the New York Times best-seller list. In at least one of those instances, it appears Cruzs campaign was responsible for some of those bulk purchases.

Through 2022, Cruz has reported earning $1.8 million as an author during his tenure as a senator.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/3e068d24.jpg

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacheverson/2024/02/16/ted-cruzs-campaign-spent-50000-on-books-the-month-after-his-latest-one-was-published/

Oh, thought this was going to bring back the Boebert rumors.

Doesn't this happen all the time? A campaign buys a shit ton of books from some candidate and then gives them away and in turn the book ends up on the best seller list.

it's possible.

idk, though.

s0nicfan posted...

Doesn't this happen all the time? A campaign buys a shit ton of books from some candidate and then gives them away and in turn the book ends up on the best seller list.

I think NYT marks their name, to show it wasn't individual sales but bulk buyers.

so is it illegal? wont they say they bought the books to give away? i dont like ted cruz im just wondering.

So sad when someone has to buy their own popularity contest.

s0nicfan posted...

Doesn't this happen all the time? A campaign buys a shit ton of books from some candidate and then gives them away and in turn the book ends up on the best seller list.

As I understand it it's usually done by various conservative groups rather than the actual political campaign of a politician.

Robot2600 posted...

so is it illegal? wont they say they bought the books to give away? i dont like ted cruz im just wondering.

from what I've seen, it's not illegal as long as Cruz doesn't accept royalties for the book.

at least, not for those purchases.

Robot2600 posted...

so is it illegal? wont they say they bought the books to give away? i dont like ted cruz im just wondering.

boxoto posted...

The Federal Election Commission allows campaigns to buy the candidates own books, as long as the candidate doesnt receive royalties from the transaction.

Even though a candidate may not profit directly when their campaign buys their book, there are indirect benefits. Publishers may be more generous when negotiating book deals if they know the lawmaker can tap into campaign funds to make a five-figure purchase. And bulk purchases can thrust a book onto best-seller lists, generating publicity and more sales.

Two of Cruzs previous best-sellers, One Vote Away and Justice Corrupted, also benefited from bulk sales, according to the New York Times best-seller list. In at least one of those instances, it appears Cruzs campaign was responsible for some of those bulk purchases.

Through 2022, Cruz has reported earning $1.8 million as an author during his tenure as a senator.

It's not illegal because the people it benefits are the ones who wrote the rules made it legal.
It's like "we investigated ourselves and found no wrongdoing" on steroids.