The 2016 Make America Great Again movement not only propelled Donald Trump into the presidency but also propelled Charlie Kirk to the heights of wealth. Seven years later, the 29-year-old CEO and co-founder of Turning Point’s conservative youth organization now resides in a 4.75 million-dollar mansion with a resort-style pool and impressive views of the Sonoran Desert.
According to the Associated Press, a public records search shows that Turning Point officials not only paid their leaders enormous salaries but also funneled 15.2 million dollars or more into companies closely associated with its leadership.
For instance, one official, Stacy Sheridan, Turning Point’s senior advancement director, is listed as a corporate officer for three limited liability corporations that received at least 2.7 million since 2018.
Despite paying these lucrative salaries among top officials and allegedly enriching many of their close associates, Turning Point has had a difficult time providing wins for the GOP, most notably perhaps in Kirk’s home state of Arizona, where Turning Point PAC spent $494,105 during the 2022 election cycle, the majority ($377,201) going to the general election races for U.S. Senate, Governor, and Secretary of State in Arizona, yet failed to deliver a single office.
This failure to deliver has caused some to question their recent call for a $108 million get-out-the-vote campaign to include Arizona and the important swing states of Georgia and Wisconsin.
One such voice of skepticism is conservative talk radio host Eric Erickson who commented that “any donor who thinks an organization needs $108 million for a three-state grassroots get-out-the-vote campaign is being taken advantage of,” adding that such calling for massive spending “sounds like a grift.”
Similar voices have raised questions about Turning Points’ lavish travel budget, their funding of Kirk’s wedding, also billed as a 9th anniversary for the group, its holding back of $55 million endowment during aggressive calls for more funding, its payment of $990,000 to a Clockwork LLC for “research on educational outputs,” a company that was shortly later dissolved with only one employee, the president who consults on tax-avoidance strategy, on the books.
They have also questioned a 2.4 million dollars to Jake Hoffman, who marshaled together a group of teenagers who spread suspect information about the coronavirus and voter fraud that, as the Washington Post reported, led Facebook and Twitter to suspend many accounts.
However, in a recent statement, the Turning Point spokesman denied all charges that the group’s leadership has inappropriately enriched themselves. As for Kirk’s own personal enrichment, he cited his podcast, public speaking events, and 75-hour work weeks he put in.
In light of these recent controversies, Turning Point must now sell its latest $108-million campaign to donors, many of whom are skeptical. One skeptic is a former aide to Arizona Sen. John McCain, John Seaton, who specializes in get-out-the-vote campaigns.
When asked about Turning Point’s latest venture, Seaton replied, “$108 million? I can’t even fathom it. There’s not even enough doors to knock on.”
