MATT MOORE IN THE CROSSHAIRS OVER PROXIMITY TO ESTABLISHMENT CONSULTANT … ALLEGED LEAKS
S.C. “Republican” party chairman Matt Moore‘s alleged involvement in establishment efforts to deprive GOP frontrunner Donald Trump of the 2016 presidential nomination have created some serious backlash for the aspiring politico.
The leading edge of the storm? Questions over Moore’s financial deals as chairman of the party – and whether he is supplementing his $100,000 annual salary with other income that could color his objectivity.
“Matt’s job is to referee the games,” one frustrated GOP activist told us. “His job is to ensure that the rules are fair for all candidates and to aggressively fight for the Republican nominees once they have been chosen by the voters. If he’s getting paid by one of the teams, how can his judgment in party matters be trusted?”
Moore’s critics – notably the embattled neo-Confederate political empire of veteran GOP consultant Richard Quinn – believe his anti-Trump machinations and thinly-concealed support for establishment politicians like Marco Rubio mask a covert payday.
Or at the very least the promise of one to come …
“Everybody knows he’s stepping down in 2017 – is there any doubt who is going to hire him?” another activist noted.
Specifically, these activists cited the close ties between Moore and another veteran “Republican” consultant – liberal establishment hack Warren Tompkins. A force in Palmetto politics during the early 2000s, Tompkins influence has waned in recent years. However in the battle for the “status quo vote” in South Carolina back in February’s presidential preference primary – Tompkins’ horse (Rubio) tripled the vote total put up by his establishment rival Jeb Bush, whose candidacy was backed by Quinn.
In fact Bush did so poorly in the Palmetto State, he dropped out of the presidential race before the votes had even finished being counted.
Don’t get us wrong: Both of these well-funded, establishment-backed politicians were pummeled in the Palmetto State by Trump – but Moore is allegedly conspiring to overturn this outcome by ensuring that anti-Trump delegates are chosen for this summer’s national “Republican” convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
(Those efforts are already bearing fruit … in fact we’ll have another story on them shortly).
Moore was not immediately available to comment regarding this story, but he has previously denied receiving any money from Tompkins. Sources close to Moore also refuted allegations that Tompkins and his clients were pumping money into his “chairman’s fund” – a reelection account that Moore has used in the past to fund his campaign efforts.
Moore’s allies insist the account is empty, but the fund does not require disclosure at the state or federal level because the party is not a public entity.
Potentially more damaging to Moore than the “pay-to-play” allegations involving Tompkins are private messages reportedly being peddled by Adam Piper, a taxpayer-funded political advisor to S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson.
Wilson is currently embroiled in a major obstruction of justice scandal – one Piper attempted (clumsily) to get Moore to engage in on behalf of the scandal-scarred attorney general. Moore and Piper’s private messages were somehow leaked to the media during this process – further compounding Wilson’s already grave political situation.
Wilson and his allies blame Moore for leaking the information, while Moore and his allies believe the leak came from supporters of S.C. lieutenant governor Henry McMaster.
Wherever the leak came from, Piper is convinced Moore ratted him out … and has reportedly collected incriminating information on his erstwhile friend that could sabotage several of Moore’s key in-state alliances and end his national ambitions within the party.
“You want fireworks?” a source close to Piper told us. “You may not have to wait until the fourth of July.”
Stay tuned …
Bare-knuckled GOP infighting in South Carolina is obviously nothing new, but Moore seems to have found himself squarely in the midst of a major scrape.