{"id":2188590,"date":"2024-02-29T02:16:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-29T07:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/david-trone-lobbies-to-protect-total-wine-empire-small-businesses-are-crying-foul\/"},"modified":"2024-02-29T02:21:59","modified_gmt":"2024-02-29T07:21:59","slug":"david-trone-lobbies-to-protect-total-wine-empire-small-businesses-are-crying-foul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/david-trone-lobbies-to-protect-total-wine-empire-small-businesses-are-crying-foul\/","title":{"rendered":"David Trone defends Total Wine empire, while small businesses protest"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdavid-trone-lobbies-to-protect-total-wine-empire-small-businesses-are-crying-foul%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2188590&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div>\n<h2>Maryland Senate hopeful has invested $79 million in his\u2062 own campaigns since \u20622016<\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption>David\u2063 Trone in 2009 (Sean Naber\/Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Rep. David Trone, the Democratic frontrunner in the race for Maryland&#8217;s open Senate seat, is throwing his weight behind a \u2064bill that could\u2062 earn him millions of dollars by crushing mom-and-pop liquor stores \u200cacross the state.<\/p>\n<p>Total Wine\u2063 &#038; More, the nationwide\u200c $2.2 billion\u200c chain\u200b Trone owns with\u200c his brother Robert, is lobbying\u200b for a bill that would let individuals in Maryland hold up\u200c to four \u2064liquor licenses. Currently,\u200c the state allows just one \u2062license per person. Trone&#8217;s \u200dsmall-business \u200bcompetitors say the measure, if passed, would enable Total Wine to dominate the market with its outsized buying power and potentially run them\u200c out of business.<\/p>\n<p>Trone holds the <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.baltimorecountymd.gov\/Documents\/Liquor_Board\/liquorlicensereport.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">liquor \u2062license<\/a> for Total Wine&#8217;s Towson, Md., location, which earned him up \u200bto $5 million\u2063 in 2022, <a href=\"https:\/\/disclosures-clerk.house.gov\/public_disc\/financial-pdfs\/2022\/10052228.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">financial disclosures<\/a> show. Robert Trone holds the license to \u200dthe state&#8217;s other Total Wine location.<\/p>\n<p>Trone, \u2064who earned $42 million from Total Wine and other investments in 2022, has used \u200bhis\u2062 wealth to fuel his political career. \u2063He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/receipts\/?data_type=processed&#038;committee_id=C00653196&#038;contributor_name=trone\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">poured<\/a> over\u200c $56 million\u200b into congressional campaigns between 2016 and 2022 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/receipts\/?committee_id=C00653196&#038;two_year_transaction_period=2024&#038;cycle=2024&#038;line_number=F3-13A&#038;data_type=processed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">loaned<\/a> an additional $23 million to his 2023 Senate campaign.\u2064 Trone&#8217;s wealth could prove a sticking point in a <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.fivethirtyeight.com\/polls\/senate\/2024\/maryland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tight race<\/a> against former Maryland \u2063governor Larry\u200b Hogan\u200d (R.), who took a swipe at Trone during a \u2064Monday visit to an independent liquor store.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Stopped by Mills Fine Wine and Spirits in downtown Annapolis. Right\u2062 now, politicians in Annapolis are pushing a bill that would benefit one billionaire at the expense of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cuomo-to-partially-reopen-indoor-dining-in-nyc-for-valentines-day-if-positivity-rates-hold\/\" title=\"Cuomo To Partially Reopen Indoor Dining In NYC For Valentine\u2019s Day, \u2018If Positivity Rates Hold\u2019\">small business owners<\/a> across the state like Jerry and Jen Donahoe. Our small business owners \u2064deserve leaders\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/B6vUrXle2t\">pic.twitter.com\/B6vUrXle2t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GovLarryHogan\/status\/1762232104291541358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Stopped\u200c by Mills Fine Wine and \u2062Spirits in\u200c downtown Annapolis,&#8221; Hogan posted\u200d on\u200d X, formerly Twitter. &#8220;Right \u2064now, politicians in Annapolis are pushing a bill that would benefit one billionaire\u200d at the expense of small business owners across the state like Jerry and Jen Donahoe. Our \u2064small business \u200bowners deserve leaders who will stand with them. That&#8217;s what\u2063 I did as governor, and \u2064that&#8217;s exactly what I will do in \u200cthe Senate.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Maryland State Licensed Beverage Association lobbyist Steven Wise warned during a Feb. 19 <a href=\"https:\/\/mgaleg.maryland.gov\/mgawebsite\/Committees\/Media\/false?cmte=ecm&#038;ys=2024RS&#038;clip=ECM_2_19_2024_meeting_1&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fmgahouse.maryland.gov%2Fmga%2Fplay%2F443c6f26ab8e47aeb8c1492b6535cd201d%3Fcatalog%2F03e481c7-8a42-4438-a7da-93ff74bdaa4c%26playfrom%3D822877\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hearing<\/a> of the Maryland House&#8217;s Economic \u200cMatters Committee that &#8220;this bill does have a pretty\u2063 significant impact on\u200c the\u200d industry.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Total Wine, which is asking you for this bill,&#8221; Wise said, &#8220;they&#8217;re [a] very good, very good, very smart business.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Wise urged legislators to \u2062oppose the bill, saying \u200dit\u200b would enable Total Wine to access volume discounts \u2063at a level that would be &#8220;damaging to the \u200dsmaller independent retailer[s]&#8221; \u200bhis organization represents.<\/p>\n<p>Trone contributed $2,000 to the bill&#8217;s primary sponsor, state delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo (D.), in December. Total Wine lobbyist Ashlie Bagwell testified in support of the bill during the Feb. 19 House hearing, \u2064saying it\u2064 would bring Maryland&#8217;s laws in line with those of neighboring states.<\/p>\n<p>Though Trone\u200c says he relinquished day-to-day control over\u200d Total Wine after he \u2063won his first term in the \u200dHouse\u200c in 2018, he \u2062hasn\u2019t shied away from putting his\u2063 thumb on the scale for Total Wine while serving\u200c in Congress. In 2022, Trone poured $1\u2064 million in support of a Colorado ballot initiative that\u200d would have loosened liquor licensing laws in the state. The measure failed on a 2-1 margin, <em>Maryland Matters<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marylandmatters.org\/2024\/02\/21\/bill-in-annapolis-would-allow-trone-to-expand-alcohol-empire-in-maryland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Trone campaign did not return a request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What criticisms have been raised about Trone&#8217;s substantial\u2063 investments in his own campaigns, \u2064and how do these criticisms relate to the power of money in politics?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ders \u2063who will fight for them, not billionaires looking to line their own pockets.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Trone, however, defends the proposed \u2062bill and insists that it will \u2062promote competition and consumer choice in the liquor industry. He argues that allowing individuals to hold multiple licenses will lead to increased variety and \u200dlower prices for customers. Trone also emphasizes\u2063 that Total Wine&#8217;s success is a result of hard work, customer satisfaction, and \u2064providing a wide selection of products at affordable prices.<\/p>\n<p>Trone&#8217;s\u200c substantial investments in his own campaigns have \u200draised eyebrows and drawn criticism, with some questioning the influence\u200b that his wealth can have in the political arena.\u200b Critics argue that it allows Trone to buy his way into political power and \u200dpotentially manipulate policies in his favor. They highlight\u200c the significant amount of money he has poured into his campaigns, pointing out \u200bthat it gives him an unfair advantage over \u200chis competitors.<\/p>\n<p>On the\u2064 other hand, Trone&#8217;s supporters argue \u200bthat \u2064his\u200d financial success is a testament to his business acumen and his ability to create jobs and stimulate the economy. They contend that Trone&#8217;s\u2062 experience as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-senator-tells-mark-cuban-call-your-lawyer-after-he-appears-to-out-himself\/\" title=\"US Senator advises Mark Cuban to consult his lawyer after he seemingly reveals his identity\">successful entrepreneur makes<\/a> him well-equipped to \u200cunderstand the needs of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-michigan-house-member-files-to-impeach-governor-gretchen-whitmer\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Michigan House Member Files to Impeach Governor Gretchen Whitmer\">small businesses<\/a> and promote policies that will benefit them.<\/p>\n<p>The race for Maryland&#8217;s\u200c open Senate seat between Trone and\u200b Hogan is expected to be\u2064 fiercely competitive. Trone&#8217;s wealth will undoubtedly be a topic of debate and contention as the campaign progresses. Critics will likely continue to question \u2062the motivations behind his\u200c financial investments in his own campaigns and whether they align with the best interests of the\u200b citizens of Maryland.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the\u2064 decision will \u200dbe in the hands of the voters to determine which candidate they\u200b believe will best represent their needs and concerns. The outcome of the election will not only shape Maryland&#8217;s \u200dpolitical landscape \u2063but \u2062also \u2063serve as a reflection of the power\u200d of\u200c money in politics \u200dand the willingness of voters to support candidates who\u200b are self-funded.<\/p>\n<p>As the race unfolds, it will be crucial for voters to carefully consider the implications of Trone&#8217;s investments\u200d and the \u2063potential impact on small businesses in\u2063 the state. They must weigh the benefits of increased \u2062competition and consumer\u200d choice against the concerns of monopolistic practices and the potential disruption to local liquor stores.<\/p>\n<p>The battle for \u2063Maryland&#8217;s open Senate seat is sure to be closely watched and may serve as a barometer for the role of \u2062personal wealth in politics. It will\u200c test the electorate&#8217;s \u2062faith in candidates who finance their own campaigns and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/facebook-drastically-increases-oversight-board-powers-opening-door-to-mob-rule-removal-of-content\/\" title=\"Facebook Drastically Increases \u2018Oversight Board\u2019 Powers, Opening Door To Mob Rule Removal Of Content\">raise important questions<\/a> about the \u2063influence\u2064 of money in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/migrant-crisis-now-putting-state-services-at-risk\/\" title=\"Migrant crisis jeopardizes state services.\">shaping policy decisions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maryland Senate hopeful, Rep. David Trone, has invested $79 million in his campaigns since 2016. Now, he supports a bill that could generate millions for him by eliminating small liquor stores in Maryland. Trone is the leading Democratic candidate for the state&#8217;s Senate seat<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":2188591,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/TWM_Annual_Meeting_2009_3296028416-e1709068615861.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2188590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/TWM_Annual_Meeting_2009_3296028416-e1709068615861.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2188590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2188590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2188590\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2188591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2188590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2188590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2188590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}