EXCLUSIVE — An independent Senate hopeful in Nebraska used campaign funds to pay a progressive company that has a track record of mocking Christians on social media.
Dan Osborn, a Navy veteran and industrial mechanic running a competitive bid to unseat Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), paid $7,500 on Oct. 16 to Call to Activism for “digital marketing,” according to Federal Election Commission filings reviewed by the Washington Examiner. The Maryland-based firm calls itself “one of the most far-reaching voices in progressive politics” and runs a website called “Lose Fox News.”
But, according to Facebook posts, Call to Activism also has another pastime: The Osborn-approved firm has a soft spot for taking aim at people of the Christian faith, including for supporting former President Donald Trump.
“I can’t respect any Christian who follows the least Christ-like person in the world,” one post from Call to Activism, sent out on Sept. 16, reads. Another Call to Activism Facebook post from September asked, “Why bother displaying the Ten Commandments in schools, if you’re just going to teach children to follow someone who has broken almost all of them?”
“Attention Evangelicals…” Call to Activism wrote on Facebook on Aug. 22. “The voice calling him the chosen one isn’t your God. Take your meds.”
News of Osborn’s $7,500 payment to Call to Activism could become a liability for the candidate, who has faced scrutiny from Republicans for framing himself as an independent while hiring far-left staffers and being boosted by Democratic megadonors.
Moreover, the revelation comes on the heels of President Joe Biden likening Trump supporters to “garbage,” prompting pushback from some Democrats in tough reelection battles.
Call to Activism, the firm that Osborn paid, says on social media that it was founded by an attorney named Joe Gallina “to stop Trump & the GOP for trying to take us backward!”
The firm often refers to Trump supporters as members of a “cult,” has criticized Christian pastors, and said Christians do not “understand the difference between fact and fiction.”
“If church pastors can use their pulpits to preach politics, they can use their collection plates to pay taxes,” Call to Activism said in a Sept. 8 post.
“Hey, did you see where Joel Osteen and all the other mega-church personalities gave millions of dollars and did everything they could to help the people suffering because of Hurricane Helene?” Call to Activism posted on Facebook on Oct. 3. “Me neither…”
In one Oct. 16 post, Call to Activism declared, “Only someone deep in a cult could live in a trailer park and still think it’s a good idea to send money to a guy with a mansion on a Florida golf course and a gold penthouse in Manhattan.”
“Understanding the separation of church and state is hard for those who can’t understand the difference between fact and fiction,” Call to Activism said in a post this week.
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, the Fischer campaign said Osborn “has no respect for Nebraska values.”
“He’ll say one thing to please his Democrat handlers, then turn around and lie to Nebraskans about being a pro-life, God-fearing conservative,” Fischer spokesman Derek Oden said. “But the receipts show who Dan Osborn really is: a liberal Democrat.”
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Last week, Call to Activism said in a Facebook post, “If you’re pushing to display the Ten Commandments in schools while removing free lunches, it might be time to go to Bible study and learn what Jesus actually taught.” The firm has been boosting Osborn on social media, writing on X on Tuesday, “Dan Osborn is on track to make this the upset of the decade!! He is tied in deep red Nebraska and can win this race! Let’s get him over the edge!”
The Osborn campaign did not respond to a request for comment. A poll released Monday found Fischer ahead of Osborn by just 2 percentage points among likely voters.