Donors to Transportation Secretary’s Son-in-Law See Huge Boosts

Michael Alfonso is getting massive donations from transportation industry executives with no connection to the state he wants to represent.

Republican donors with no ties to Wisconsin are pouring their money into a random House candidate there—who happens to be Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s son-in-law. 

Michael Alfonso, a 26-year-old running for Wisconsin’s 7th district, has collected money from at least 25 transportation executives, industry lobbyists, and corporate PACS, The Bulwark reported Friday. So far, his campaign has managed to raise $1.3 million, despite the fact that Alfonso has never held public office. If elected, he would be the youngest person in Congress. 

These donors aren’t mad Alfonso-heads—they’re transportation industry figures who appear to be seeking federal contracts and favors. 

For example, David Parker, the chairman and CEO of the trucking company Covenant Logistics, and his wife paid a whopping $10,000 to Alfonso’s campaign, despite having no connection to Wisconsin. Weeks later, Duffy’s department renewed Covenant’s exemption from a federal driver supervision requirement for another five years. 

When questioned about the donation, a spokesperson for Parker declined to comment. But, separately, he’s gushed over the “great things” Duffy’s doing at the DOT. 

The Bulwark identified multiple situations in which transportation companies and industry figures donated to Alfonso—and either won big federal contracts or had vested interest in staying on Duffy’s good side. 

Air Space Intelligence, an AI-powered air-traffic software start-up, won a $875 million contract with the Federal Aviation Administration just months after its corporate PAC donated to Alfonso. Peter Cipriano (who was a senior adviser to Donald Trump’s DOT during his first term) was tapped to lead the multibillion-dollar redevelopment of the New York City transportation hub Penn Station two months after donating $2,602.54 to Alfonso’s campaign. Sharad Tak, the CEO of ST LNG, a company seeking a port license of DOT, and his wife donated a combined $7,500 to Alfonso’s campaign. In May, Fairwood Peninsula Energy, another LNG exporter, donated $125,000 to Northwoods Future PAC, a super PAC supporting Alfonso.

Duffy has also poured $1 million from his dormant campaign committee toward Alfonso’s campaign.  

DHS Email Sparks Alarm About What Feds Will Do on Election Day

Is the Department of Homeland Security planning to target these districts this election?

Staff in the Department of Homeland Security circulated an internal email last year listing states and counties that offer election materials in languages other than English, raising questions about the Trump administration’s plans for the midterm elections and beyond.

NPR obtained the email thanks to a Democratic National Committee lawsuit over a public records request. The 78-page list of states and counties was attached to a Department of Justice criminal checklist on requirements for prosecuting election crimes.

The content of the email is worrying, as it could be a preview of the states and precincts the Trump administration will be monitoring, or worse, where it will be intimidating voters and reducing turnout. Trump and other Republicans have long railed........

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