Cruz facing new, third ethics complaint

AUSTIN, Texas – Ted Cruz’s shady podcast deal continues to raise ethics questions. The Austin American-Statesman detailed a new ethics complaint against Cruz that “accuses Cruz of violating federal law and Senate ethics rules” by flouting earned income limits, a ban on payments for appearances, and his financial disclosures.

Cruz is now “facing at least three ethics complaints,” over his podcast deal and still refuses to comment “on the relationship with iHeartMedia or payments to the Truth and Courage PAC.”

Read the Statesman’s full coverage below:

Austin American-Statesman: Ted Cruz 'volunteers time' for podcast, but iHeartMedia gave $787K to PAC, records show

By Hogan Gore

• U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, remains under scrutiny over a financial relationship between his podcast and iHeartMedia and whether the company is aiding his reelection campaign, as alleged in complaints filed with the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics, including a new one submitted as recently as last week.

• Arguing that the financial arrangement violates federal law, Cruz is facing at least three ethics complaints over a syndication deal with the San Antonio-based audio media company that publishes the senator's podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz.

• Filed with the Ethics Committee, Michael Tijerina, a Collin County Democratic Party precinct chair, in a July 14 complaint accuses Cruz of violating federal law and Senate ethics rules by flouting earned income limits, a ban on receiving payments for appearances or speaking engagements and financial disclosure requirements.

• "Senator Cruz claims to volunteer his time to appear on the podcast," reads the complaint Tijerina filed. "However, Senator Cruz seems to be receiving a 'thing of value' for his appearances — namely hundreds of thousands of funds to a super PAC supporting his re-election campaign."

• Since… a formal investigation request of the Federal Election Commission in April, which comes after a previous investigation petition based on the same accusations was sent to the Senate Ethics Committee in late 2022, Cruz's Truth and Courage PAC has received an additional $156,000 payment from iHeartMedia in May, bringing the total dispersal to $787,000 since the syndication deal began.

• Cruz's office did not respond to an American-Statesman request for comment on the relationship with iHeartMedia or payments to the Truth and Courage PAC.

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