Nobody wants to read Ted Cruz‘s crappy new book… except, apparently, for Ted Cruz.
Recently released FEC filings suggest the antigay senator blew over $150,000 on copies of his own book using money donated to his campaign in 2020.
Last September, Cruz released One Vote Away: How a Single Supreme Court Seat Can Change History, for which he was paid a $320,000 advance by his publisher. According to FEC filings, his campaign spent $153,000 at Books-a-Million shortly after its publication.
It’s not entirely clear what titles were purchased with that money, since the filing simply lists the purchase as “books”, but records show the campaign spent $40,000 on October 15. Coincidentally, the very next week, Cruz’s book ranked #9 on the NYT Bestseller list.
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The campaign spent another $11,900 on “books” in the beginning of November. Coincidentally, the very next week, Cruz’s book ranked #5 on the NYT Bestseller list, jumping nine spots from #14 the previous week.
The campaign spent another $111,900 on “books” on December 1; however, Cruz’s book didn’t end up cracking the list the following week, which also happened to be the same time President Obama’s memoir was released, as well as new books by Dolly Parton and Michael J. Fox.
In addition to the $320,000 advance, Cruz receives 15% of each hardcover sale of the book, 7.5% for each paperback sale, 25% for each e-book sale, and 15% for any books sold outside the U.S.
Yahoo! reports:
It is not illegal for US senators to buy their own books using campaign funds, according to the FEC. But they have to make sure royalties from book sales go to charities and not their own pockets.
In fact, Sens. Tammy Duckworth, Elizabeth Warren, and Tom Cotton all used campaign funds to purchase copies of their books. However, those purchases were all for less than $20,000.
Cruz is currently peddling signed copies of the book (which retails for $28.99) to anyone who donates $77 to his campaign. A spokesperson insists that he “has not received one cent of royalties”, although they declined to say what was purchased at Books-A-Million with that $153,000 worth of campaign funds.
Earlier this year, Cruz was accused of illegally using $18,000 in campaign funds on Facebook ads to promote One Vote Away. And in 2015, he spent $122,000 to buy copies of his book A Time For Truth during his failed presidential campaign.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Fahd
Ted Cruz corrupt? Next, it will be sky is blue.
Please someone start working against voter suppression in Texas. There is no way Texas a state with the same demographic profile as California is electing Ted Cruz and that Governor, etc. without widespread voter suppression (or maybe outright fraud).
missvamp
we already have outright fraud & destruction going on in this state. our governor is a trump devotee. covid runs rampant- hell- hotwheels has covid as we speak. our power grid is a joke. all these idiots care about is trying to control poor people & keep women from having abortions. this state is a total joke. our “leadership” is a bunch of criminals.
Kangol2
You really went there with “hotwheels,” didn’t you? I’d be lying if I didn’t admit me laugh out loud too.
Cam
The FEC is terrified to do anything. They are using money donated to a campaign to purchase books, which, if their books well well, they will get a higher advance for the next book. So technically that sale doesn’t put money directly into their pocket if they donate to charity, but it creates demand for their book and gets them a higher advance.
It’s fraud and the FEC knows it.
Invader7
Obviously Miss Thang can’t get a good ghost writer to pen his crappy book. He had to buy up his own books. Which clearly are fiction. As is his political “career “.
Essie
Didn’t Dumpty, Jr. buy a bunch of his own books? I believe the NYTimes banned it from its bestseller list because they believed the sales to be fraudulent.
The one surprise I’m getting from this story is that a publisher paid this fool a $300K advance. What made them think anyone wanted to hear anything from him?
jcool
response to junior question – the rnc purchased multiple books as “gifts” to donors. i guess like when pbs will send tapes of the ed sullivan show for a $100 donation. except ed sullivan was a good gift
HMFan
Books purchased by their own author should immediately be discounted from the tally of books sold. That would probably put him at around #97 on the NYT bestseller list somewhere below Dr. Suess and “Government for Dummies.”
cuteguy
Florida and Texas must have the dumb€st voters bc they elected Gov Deathsantis and senator Cancun Cruz. I do agree with an earlier Trump tweet that we should abolish the electoral college. This will eliminate the m0rons from the south
TomG
So basically Cruz bought his own books. That’s really PATHETIC !