REPORT: Shady Political Group Seeks to Pay College Athletes to Endorse Dem Senator

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From Breitbart: Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) is receiving a boost from an outside group soliciting college athletes in Montana to endorse the embattled red-state incumbent.

The initiative exploits new NCAA guidelines allowing college athletes to monetize their name and branding to essentially pay collegiate athletes to make a political endorsement.

“In early August, athletes from the University of Montana received an email from Jean Gee, the senior associate athletic director, about a potential Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal,” reported Lily Meskers, a track athlete and journalism major at the University of Montana, for Montana Talks. “The email forwarded by Gee said the opportunity was available to ‘Athletes who attend college in Montana and are interested in spreading the word about Senator Jon Tester and causes you care about.’”

According to Meskers, the group offered compensations between $400 and $2,400 for video recordings shared as Instagram Reels. Montana Together instructed athletes to film videos to “inform your audience about Senator Tester’s track record in office and encourage him to maintain his support for these vital policies.”

The report notes that several of Tester’s positions aren’t sitting well with Montana voters, including his 2023 vote against the ‘Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.’

The act worked to amend Title IX to ensure that only biological women – and not men – could compete in women’s sports.” Tester was one of all 51 Senate Democrats voting against the Republican-backed legislation.

Tester, 68, has served in the U.S. Senate since 2007, and is seeking a fourth term, but he is now in a heated race against Republican and Navy SEAL veteran Tim Sheehy.

Sheehy reacted to the report, writing, “Two-Faced Tester lets D.C. Swamp lobbyists buy his votes in the U.S. Senate, so now @JonTester is trying to buy votes from student-athletes here in Montana. Oh, and by the way, Jon Tester voted to let men compete in women’s sports! #RetireTester.”

Former college swimmer Riley Gaines wrote, “So @jontester attempts to pays collegiate female athletes for their endorsement, but they turned it down because he votes to put men in their sports. 😂😭 KUDOS to these gals for standing on principle. @SheehyforMT for US Senate!”

Sheehy responded, “Montanans see through Two-Faced @JonTester’s crooked political tricks and are standing up against his insane plans to let MEN compete in WOMEN’s sports! It’s time to hold this career politician accountable and #RetireTester for good!”

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) wrote, “This is why everyone hates Washington. @jontester voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, and then his people turned around and emailed the female athletes in Montana offering them money for their support. These people are terrible.”

Former State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert wrote, “Sitting Montana Senator Jon Tester is so desperate to win reelection that a murky political group backing him is trying to *pay* college athletes to endorse him. His ‘23 vote to keep men in women’s sports is not popular back home.”

In another post, Nauert added, “Montana Senator #JonTester calls ⁦@SheehyforMT⁩ “shady” but Tester is the shady one. Dems are paying for political endorsements! They did it at DNC & now in MT, ground zero in fight for control of Senate. Where else are Dems paying endorsers? 🚨”

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