On August 6, Congressman Joaquin Castro publicly exposed on Twitter the names and employers of private citizens who donated to the re-election campaign of President Donald Trump. As Institute for Free Speech Chairman Bradley A. Smith said, “It is hard to imagine a purpose for Rep. Castro’s tweet other than to incite harassment and retribution against these individuals and businesses.”
This incident highlights the inherent risks in publicizing personal information in connection to support for causes and candidates. Below is a collection of notable reporting and commentary on this dangerous misuse of campaign finance data.
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- Institute for Free Speech: Statement on Doxxing of Trump Donors by Congressman Castro
- National Review: Doxing Trump Donors Is Just the Beginning, By IFS Chairman Bradley A. Smith
- National Review: We Need Donor-Privacy Legislation Now, By Jeremy Carl
- CNN: Uproar over Trump donations sparks fresh debate about disclosure, By Fredreka Schouten
- NPR: SoulCycle Owner, Trump Donors Face Public Shaming, By Don Gonyea
- Reason: Rep. Joaquin Castro’s Doxxing of Trump Donors in His District Has Flipped the Campaign Finance Discourse on Its Head, By Christian Britschgi
- Commentary: Expanding the Rules of Engagement, By Noah Rothman
- Newsweek: GOP Congressman Shot by Left-wing Activist Slams Joaquin Castro Over Trump Donor List: ‘Lives Are at Stake. I Know This Firsthand’, By Shane Croucher
- Fox News: Joaquin Castro facing backlash from all sides for posting Trump donor information, By Ronn Blitzer
- The Hill: MSNBC’s Geist presses Castro on sharing Trump donors’ names: These people ‘are already being harassed’, By Joe Concha
- The Federalist: Joaquin Castro’s Doxxing Of Voters Is Un-American, By David Harsanyi
- Goldwater Institute: Castro Weaponizes Campaign Finance Disclosure Against Ordinary Texans, By Matt Miller
- Politico: Joaquin Castro doubles down amid backlash over tweeting names of Trump donors, By Caitlin Oprysko
- Roll Call: Trump campaign: Rep. Joaquin Castro inciting violence by publicizing donors, By Stephanie Akin
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