{"id":2331497,"date":"2024-08-27T06:54:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-27T10:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tester-advocated-for-montana-tech-executives-who-donated-to-campaign-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-27T06:59:19","modified_gmt":"2024-08-27T10:59:19","slug":"tester-advocated-for-montana-tech-executives-who-donated-to-campaign-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tester-advocated-for-montana-tech-executives-who-donated-to-campaign-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Tester advocated for Montana tech executives who donated to campaign &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"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\">26<\/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%2Ftester-advocated-for-montana-tech-executives-who-donated-to-campaign-washington-examiner%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=2331497&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--><p>Senator \u2062Jon Tester (D-MT) has\u200c faced scrutiny\u2064 over campaign\u200d donations from executives at Reveal Technologies and Next Frontier Capital, which totaled nearly $30,000.\u200b These donations coincided \u200bwith his efforts to secure federal funding \u200bfor the \u2063Headwaters tech hub in Montana, which ultimately received\u200c $41 million in\u2064 grants through the federal \u200cCHIPS and Science Act. \u200bThe meetings between\u200d Tester \u200band these executives raised ethical\u2064 concerns,\u2064 with critics, including former Bush ethics lawyer Richard Painter, suggesting that such\u2063 financial contributions \u2064can undermine public confidence in government and imply conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n<p>While Tester has \u2062actively advocated for the \u200dtech hub and its funding alongside bipartisan support, only \u200bhis campaign received donations from these \u200bcompanies, leading to questions about the influence of the donations on his \u200dactions as the chairman of \u2062the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee. Tester&#8217;s office has not clarified whether he\u2062 was aware of the donations during the funding discussions but emphasized his collaborative work with both parties to promote\u200d technological advancements in Montana.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Tester advocated Montana tech executives who donated to campaign<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1726272\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Executives at two technology companies met privately with Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3127959\/more-vulnerable-democrats-announce-skipping-dnc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Jon Tester\">Jon Tester<\/a> (D-MT) and donated to his reelection campaign as he helped secure federal funding for their tech hub in Montana.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The leadership team of defense-focused artificial intelligence company Reveal Technologies and venture capital firm Next Frontier Capital, part of a consortium focused on defense technology, gave nearly $30,000 in personal donations to the Tester campaign and an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-senate-candidate-in-blue-new-mexico-posts-record-fundraising-haul-campaign-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"GOP Senate candidate in blue New Mexico posts record fundraising haul: Campaign - Washington Examiner\">affiliated joint fundraising committee<\/a>, according to federal fundraising records reviewed by the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The donations, given in small increments across a two-year time frame, coincided with a series of meetings Tester held with the executives and their lobbyists as he helped <a href=\"https:\/\/headwaterstechhub.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Headwaters Hub<\/a>, a Montana business tech consortium, receive federal accreditation and ultimately <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eda.gov\/funding\/programs\/regional-technology-and-innovation-hubs\/2023\/Headwaters-Hub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>$41 million<\/a> in grant money approved through the federal CHIPS and Science Act last month.<\/p>\n<p>Tester has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/3-corporate-media-shticks-about-ukraine-that-you-should-absolutely-ignore\/\" title=\"3 Corporate Media Shticks About Ukraine That You Should Absolutely Ignore\">long made clear<\/a> his support for the consortium. In February 2023, he held a roundtable to encourage the Biden administration to designate Headwaters as a regional tech hub and, once that designation was granted, urged officials including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to award it next-phase funding.<\/p>\n<p>But the donations have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/i-will-destroy-you-biden-deputy-press-secretary-threatens-politico-reporter-for-pursuing-story-he-wanted-kept-private\/\" title=\"\u201cI Will Destroy You\u201d \u2013 Biden Deputy Press Secretary Threatens Politico Reporter For Pursuing Story He Wanted Kept Private\">raised ethics concerns<\/a> as Tester, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, runs for a fourth term in the Senate.<\/p>\n<p>Richard Painter, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/he-has-the-right-to-pursue-an-artistic-career-psaki-defends-hunter-bidens-gallery-agreement\/\" title=\"\u2018He Has The Right To Pursue An Artistic Career\u2019: Psaki Defends Hunter Biden\u2019s Gallery Agreement\">chief ethics lawyer<\/a> under President George W. Bush and former Democratic House candidate, said Tester was no &ldquo;different than the rest of them,&rdquo; referring to other politicians who accept campaign donations from companies that stand to benefit from their advocacy.<\/p>\n<p>But he called the contributions &ldquo;indicative of what&rsquo;s wrong with our campaign finance system.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think we need to really tighten up, to say they shouldn&rsquo;t be meeting with people who can make contributions at all,&rdquo; Painter said. &ldquo;This is the type of thing that doesn&rsquo;t promote public confidence in the government.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Tester joined other members of the Montana congressional delegation advocating the tech hub, hailing the grant as a chance to bring cutting-edge jobs to a rural state. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), his Republican counterpart in the Senate, also voted for the CHIPS and Science Act, lobbied for Headwaters to get funding, and claimed credit for its grant.<\/p>\n<p>But Daines did not receive campaign donations from Reveal or Next Frontier; neither did any other member of the Montana delegation besides Tester, outside of a one-time $50 contribution Reveal made to Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Sen. Tester worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass bipartisan legislation that will help America outcompete China and allow a rural state like Montana to lead the nation in critical technological innovation,&rdquo; a Tester spokesperson told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;He is proud to have worked with Republicans like Sen. Steve Daines on this bipartisan bill to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-former-detroit-police-chief-james-craig-holds-double-digit-lead-in-michigan-governors-primary\/\" title=\"Poll: Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig Holds Double-Digit Lead in Michigan Governor&#039;s Primary\">bring good-paying jobs back<\/a> to the United States, secure our domestic supply chains, and develop next-generation technology right at home in the Treasure State.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Tester&rsquo;s office did not address questions about whether he was aware of the donations from Reveal Technologies and Next Frontier Capital. The spokesperson noted he &ldquo;played no direct role&rdquo; in which companies were chosen for the Headwaters Hub, while his campaign declined to comment and directed the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> to his Senate office.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) questions during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing titled &ldquo;CHIPS and Science Implementation and Oversight&rdquo;, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo\/Mariam Zuhaib)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Tester&rsquo;s relationship with Reveal extends back to at least March 2022, when Tester held a call with Reveal CEO Garrett Smith. Smith began donating to Tester a month later with a $1,000 contribution to his campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Over the next year, from July 2022 to July 2023, Smith made periodic donations to Tester&rsquo;s campaign totaling $3,550. On at least two occasions around the same period, in March and August 2023, Tester issued public press releases urging the Biden administration to select Montana to create the tech hub consortium that would become Headwaters.<\/p>\n<p>In October 2023, the tech hub was ultimately awarded $500,000 in funds to establish itself.<\/p>\n<p>Most of the meetings, listed on Tester&rsquo;s public schedule, occurred after the creation of Headwaters, while the majority of the donations from executives began this year.<\/p>\n<p>In January, Tester met with Smith, Reveal Director of Business Development Dave Caudle, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lda.senate.gov\/filings\/public\/filing\/2bf93cfb-bba4-4747-8bda-c0ea6d2eb2ad\/print\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"registered lobbyist\">registered Reveal lobbyist<\/a> Dan Sennott. Later that same month, Next Frontier founder and General Partner Will Price became his company&rsquo;s first executive to donate to Tester&rsquo;s reelection with a $500 contribution.<\/p>\n<p>Headwaters submitted its grant application for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montanachamber.com\/2024\/03\/01\/press-release-montanas-headwaters-technology-hub-submits-75-million-phase-ii-grant-application\/#:~:text=II%20Grant%20Application-,PRESS%20RELEASE%3A%20Montana's%20Headwaters%20Technology%20Hub%20Submits,Million%20Phase%20II%20Grant%20Application&amp;text=HELENA%2C%20Mont.,implementation%20on%20February%2029th.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>$75 million<\/a> in February. That same day, Tester publicly called for the administration to select them.<\/p>\n<p>From March until the $41 million was granted to Headwaters on July 2, Smith, Caudle, and other Reveal executives, including Chief Operating Officer Andrew Dixon and Chief Product Officer John Laxson, contributed another combined $11,650 to Tester or his affiliated joint fundraising committee.<\/p>\n<p>Over the same period, Next Frontier leadership gave $13,200 by way of three contributions from Richard Harjes, another founder and general partner.<\/p>\n<p>All of the men extended donations in the days and weeks leading up to a June 24 meeting between Reveal, Next Frontier, and Tester that included representatives from the Air Force and Space Force. One of the donations occurred on the same day as the meeting.<\/p>\n<p>The donations, in aggregate, are small compared to the tens of millions of dollars raised by the Tester campaign. But Painter said the donations present a possible conflict of interest and could be construed as an attempt to gain access to the senator.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They want someone in Washington, and they give money, and then they get meetings, and then whatever happens, happens,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s unclear if or how much Reveal and Next Frontier stand to gain from the grant, or how the funds will be divided <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2023-12\/Tech_Hubs_Consortia_Members.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>among the 27<\/a> companies, associations, or public higher-education schools that comprise Headwaters. A breakdown was neither provided in the group&rsquo;s funding application nor in its award.<\/p>\n<p>Headwaters did not respond to a request for comment by press time.<\/p>\n<p>Not all of the companies stand to receive the funding, according to other company members of Headwaters. Nonetheless, Reveal was referenced in Headwaters&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-07\/Headwaters_Tech_Hub_Overarching_Narrative.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"grant bid\">grant bid<\/a>, touting the company&rsquo;s &ldquo;innovations in Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) remote sensing technology, as reflected by Reveal Technologies&rsquo; rapid growth.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Smith, its CEO, also thanked elected officials for helping secure the award in a press release on the day of the grant&rsquo;s announcement.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Reveal declined to comment about its donations and meetings with Tester, in addition to how much of the grant it expects to receive. Next Frontier did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Headwaters was one of 12 consortiums selected to receive additional funding out of the 31 regional hubs established across the country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1726272\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1726272\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Executives from two tech companies privately met with Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) and contributed to his reelection campaign while he was instrumental in obtaining federal funding for their tech hub in Montana. The leadership of Reveal Technologies, a defense-oriented AI firm, and Next Frontier Capital, a venture capital firm involved in defense technology, collectively donated nearly $30,000 to Tester&#8217;s campaign and an associated joint fundraising committee over two years. These contributions coincided with multiple meetings between Tester and the executives as he facilitated the Headwaters Hub\u2014a Montana business tech consortium\u2014in gaining federal accreditation and securing $41 million in grant funding through the CHIPS and Science Act last month.<\/p>\n<p>Tester has consistently expressed support for this consortium. In February 2023, he organized a roundtable to encourage the Biden administration to designate Headwaters as a regional tech hub; after receiving that designation, he urged officials like Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo for further funding. However, these donations have sparked ethical concerns as Tester seeks a fourth Senate term while serving as chairman of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee.<\/p>\n<p>Richard Painter, who served as chief ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush and ran for Congress as a Democrat, criticized Tester\u2019s actions by comparing him to other politicians who accept donations from companies that benefit from their advocacy work. He described such contributions as symptomatic of issues within the campaign finance system and suggested stricter regulations on meetings between politicians and potential donors.<\/p>\n<p>Tester collaborated with both Republican Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) on promoting the tech hub initiative; Daines also supported its funding but did not receive any donations from Reveal or Next Frontier\u2014unlike Tester\u2014aside from a one-time $50 contribution made by Reveal to Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for Tester stated that he worked across party lines on bipartisan legislation aimed at enhancing America\u2019s competitiveness against China while creating high-quality jobs in rural states like Montana.<\/p>\n<p>The spokesperson did not address whether Tester was aware of the donations made by Reveal Technologies or Next Frontier Capital but emphasized that he had no direct involvement in selecting companies for Headwaters Hub.<\/p>\n<p>Tester&#8217;s connection with Reveal dates back to March 2022 when he spoke with CEO Garrett Smith; shortly thereafter Smith began donating to Tester&#8217;s campaign. Over time\u2014from July 2022 through July 2023\u2014Smith contributed approximately $3,550 more towards Tester&#8217;s reelection efforts.<\/p>\n<p>In March and August 2023, around when public press releases were issued urging selection of Montana&#8217;s consortium for federal support\u2014which ultimately received $500,000\u2014the majority of executive donations began flowing into Tester&#8217;s campaign this year following several meetings listed on his public schedule after Headwaters&#8217; formation.<\/p>\n<p>While these contributions are relatively small compared to overall funds raised by Tester&#8217;s campaign, they raise potential conflict-of-interest concerns regarding access gained through financial support.<br \/>\nIt remains unclear how much financial benefit Reveal or Next Frontier might derive from this grant or how funds will be allocated among various entities within Headwaters.<br \/>\nHeadwaters was one of twelve consortia selected out of thirty-one established nationwide<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2331498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jon-tester-holds-out-endorsing-kamala-harris.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[39379,8605,39378,4941,32076],"class_list":["post-2331497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-campaign-donations","tag-montana","tag-tech-executives","tag-tester","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jon-tester-holds-out-endorsing-kamala-harris.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2331497","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\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2331497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2331497\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2331498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2331497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2331497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2331497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}