Democratic Party Consultants Surround Troy Jackson with Pro

The Troy Jackson campaign in Maine may have found a new way to measure just how far Democratic Party consultants are able to drag a candidate away from his grassroots supporters. This week, as Jackson ventured into the Facebook group set up for his volunteers, he was facing a legion of Maine supporters expressing a deep sense of betrayal, following an exposé by Rebecca Traister in New York Magazine, which had laid out in precise detail how a squadron of mostly out-of-state political consultants had done as much as possible to drain the life from Jackson and his campaign. In the Facebook group, Jackson’s defense of his campaign, and his attack on the reporting, was considered so condescending that supporters concluded there was no way that Jackson himself was running the account—and promptly kicked Jackson out of his own Facebook group, with less than six weeks until election day. Jackson, it turned out, was indeed still manning his own Facebook account, and he has since been allowed back in. But the damage his consultant-run campaign has done to his relationship with Maine voters will take more than a restored account to repair. Interviews with sources in Jackson’s orbit, and a review of campaign documents that have been circulating among insiders, color inside the lines sketched by Traister, filling out a portrait of a populist politician being molded into an inoffensive, vanishing name on a ballot—the platonic ideal of a generic Democrat. Driving it all is a fight for control of the direction of the Democratic Party. During the primary, the Washington establishment was beaten handily by a populist wave that lifted Graham Platner to victory. After Platner’s withdrawal from the race, the establishment was beaten again in the contest to replace him, this time by the populist Troy Jackson, powered by Platner’s volunteers, who organized in every county to overwhelm the party apparatus at the nominating convention. The party brass’s third run at power has been more successful, as they’ve managed to surround Jackson with consultants from a wide array of losing campaigns, from Dan Goldman in New York to Haley Stevens and Mallory McMorrow in Michigan and Colin Allred in Texas. After Platner ran fiercely against AIPAC and Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the Jackson consultants have brought in Impact Research, one of AIPAC’s top pollsters, to run polling for the campaign. The funding strategy for the campaign has also changed. After Platner powered his way to the Democratic nomination in Maine at the head of a volunteer army powered by millions in small dollars, the new nominee, Jackson, effectively disbanded the volunteers, focusing instead on high-dollar fundraisers over grassroots supporters. Jackson has canceled media interviews and Q&As with the public while putting Jackson primarily in front of wealthy donors. Traister reported that in September, according to records she reviewed, he was slated to be out of town for fundraisers 14 of those days. The records Drop Site reviewed confirm Traister’s reporting. It’s becoming an issue for Jackson, as Maine voters recall that Platner crisscrossed the state for in-person events nearly constantly. On Thursday, the Susan Collins campaign hit Jackson for being in Virginia for yet another high-dollar fundraiser. The Jackson campaign told Drop Site that 94% of “contributions” continue to come from small donors, but the campaign is counting the total number of contributions, not total dollar amount. His campaign has entered the top 5 list on ActBlue twice since late July. Drop Site has reviewed calendar invites, attendee lists, and fundraising strategy packets from Troy Jackson’s Senate campaign that suggest little is off limits for the campaign. Sources in Jackson’s orbit say the campaign is effectively being dominated by Communications Director and Allred alum Dan Gottlieb, as well as David Farmer, who comes from Bernstein Shur, a corporate law and lobbying firm. Consultant B.J. McCollister is also playing a major role, and has brought in his own firm, Frame, to cut ads for the campaign, a job potentially worth many millions of dollars in a short stretch of time. As Traister puts it, “These firms had also been involved in Jackson’s gubernatorial efforts, but now they were in the driver’s seat.” To establish leverage for moderating Jackson on Gaza, as Traister’s piece acutely explains, the consultants have sought to bring in donor dollars from pro-Israel sources. In the last three weeks, documents reviewed by Drop Site reveal Jackson’s campaign has held at least three fundraisers with prominent Democratic fundraisers with favorable views of Israel’s military actions in the Middle East. The consultants appear to believe that by surrounding Jackson with big donors who have a sympathetic view of Israel, they will be able to pressure Jackson into moderating his public statements on the genocide in Gaza. “They have told him to stop saying genocide, moved him to blocking offensive only, and his answers are pissing off voters,” said one source familiar with the guidance. The Jackson campaign dismissed Drop Site’s questioning on the ethics of fundraising from big money sources, including those with favorable views of Israel. They believe the idea of raising funds from big-dollar sources is the only path to remaining competitive, representing what they described as a false choice between maximizing donor dollars and grass roots organizing. Current fundraising totals are not public yet, but Jackson raised $5.3 million in July and $4 million in August. Effects of this new campaign strategy are now being reflected in polling. For the first time since either Platner or Jackson were the nominee, Susan Collins is leading in a NYT/Sienna poll. She is up 3 points on Jackson in a new survey released on September 24 by the group. Another poll released on Thursday from UMass Lowell showed Jackson up by 5 points along with a University of New Hampshire poll with him leading by 4 points, however. A ProPublica exposé on Collins, finding that the FBI probed her campaign over bribery allegations, may give the Jackson campaign a boost. Current polling averages for the US Senate race have tightened considerably, with Jackson up by 1.8 points. Campaign spokesperson David Farmer, the senior adviser, provided Drop Site a short statement in reply to a detailed list of questions. “Troy has been clear with Mainers on where he stands, just like he has been as he has stood with them in the fight to ensure working people get a fair shake for the last 28 years,” the statement read. “Those are the values he’ll bring to the Senate, and he is working around the clock to make sure the campaign has the resources needed to beat back Susan Collins’ $135 million dark money machine and corrupt donor bribery schemes so he can defeat her and give Mainers a real champion in the Senate.” West Coast Fundraising The campaign documents reviewed by Drop Site show Jackson for Maine organized, for instance, two fundraising events in Seattle and Bellevue, Washington on September 15. Both events were hosted by Democratic party fundraiser Suzi Levine, a pro-Israel advocate and former U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. In March 2024, Levine signed a letter to President Biden and Senator Chuck Schumer thanking them for their “leadership in safeguarding a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, grounded in a commitment to Israel’s security and safety for Jews worldwide.” At the time, the United Nations reported that since October 7, at least 31,112 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and 72,760 Palestinians were injured, of whom 72% were women and children as a result of Israel’s military actions. By this date, Israel had destroyed two-thirds of Gaza hospitals. Days later, Israel struck and killed a convoy of workers with the World Central Kitchen and Biden was under intense pressure to force an end to the conflict. The Bellevue event was held at the home of Toni Hoover, an executive at pharmaceutical giant Pfizer for more than 25 years. Attendee lists reviewed by Drop Site included former Microsoft executives including past president and COO Jon Shirley, who is worth at least $700M, and Eric Levine, husband of Amb. Levine, who was described as a “Microsoft technologist.” Amazon’s Chief of Global Affairs & Legal Offices David Zapolsky was given a biography in fundraising strategy documents reviewed by Drop Site, and described as a host of the Bellevue fundraising reception for Jackson. During Amazon’s anti-union battle with Chris Smalls in 2023, a leaked memo showed Zapolsky, then the General Counsel, referring to Smalls, a black man, as “not smart or articulate” and recommended making him “the face” of efforts to organize workers. Jackson comes from organized labor, having worked as a logger for much of his early life, and has the strong backing of the state’s AFL-CIO. Campaign Strategy For many Jackson supporters, the most offensive shift has come on Gaza. Drop Site reviewed an internal document describing the consultants’ desired stance, in which they instruct Jackson to move away from calling what’s happening in Gaza a genocide and to call for a block on “offensive weapons”—an outdated position that, if he embraced it publicly, would make him more hawkish than even Rahm Emanuel, whose middle name is Israel and volunteered for the IDF. The document tells Jackson to say: “I think what’s happening in Israel and Palestine is horrific, senseless violence. I think Israel has the right to defend itself, but I do not support the United States sending offensive weapons that enable more killing.” If he is asked about his previous position on the genocide, the document instructs Jackson to say: “START with ‘I’ve said what I’ve said.’ Do not sound like you’re walking back the previous position and do not invite an argument over semantics.” As is the case with many working class people in the United States, the question of U.S. policy toward Israel was not something Jackson thought much about — until October 7th and the disastrous Iran War, which Israel urged the United States to launch. That has made him susceptible to the regular arguments he hears from donors and fundraisers, people who have spoken to him say, that the issue is complicated and that the term “genocide” is hurtful and loaded with historical context that needs to be taken into consideration. Such donors are able to get private access to him to make their case, of course, because they’re cutting checks. The Jackson campaign’s consultant-driven stance on Gaza is now diminishing enthusiasm amongst campaign volunteers. “If he wants people to vote for him, instead of against Collins, he needs to shrug off the consultant class who is giving him mealy mouthed horrible advice,” an elected delegate during the Platner replacement process and current volunteer said. “No half stances or walking back on Gaza.” Separately, Jackson’s suggested talking points on Medicare for All support a free health care system, but made sure to leave room to appease corporate interests. Consultants advised Jackson to reply to the question of “Can I keep my private insurance?,” by saying, “Yes. If you want to keep your private insurance, I’m in favor of letting you do that.” During the race for governor, Jackson supported Medicare for All nationally and a public option in Maine. Volunteer leaders reported that the Jackson campaign has cancelled all remaining town halls with audience Q&A sessions. For the consultants, the move mitigates the risk of Jackson being asked to detail his position on the Gaza genocide in a public forum. “Troy’s town halls, the true kind with open Q&As with the audience, have been cancelled,” Volunteer Carla Poindexter White said in a September 23 post on the private Troy Jackson volunteer Facebook page. “Campaign staff called me just a few days ago to confirm that and many of us had events planned and then nixxed, even after the campaign had said yes, dates agreed on, etc.” The Jackson campaign responded to Drop Site with a list of events he has held over the course of his run for Senate. They further stated that no publicly announced Troy Jackson town hall, community conversation, meet-and-greet or campaign event featuring open voter interactions have been canceled, further saying they identified a total of three events that shifted time or location. On Friday afternoon, Jackson posted a new condemnation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his X account, including a screenshot of his website, which still refers to Israel’s genocide in Gaza. AIPAC-Aligned Headliner The previously unreported September fundraising events in Washington complement a big ticket fundraiser in New York City on September 23 hosted by AIPAC-aligned Democrat Henry Beck for Jackson, who was listed as headlining. Beck, a former state treasurer, has been a leading pro-Israel advocate in Maine, having recently moved to New York City to work for an asset management firm. In January 2024, he traveled to Israel to meet with IDF soldiers as part of a 10-person delegation organized by the American Israel Education Foundation, AIPAC’s arm which funds trips to Israel. While State Treasurer, Beck released a controversial statement from the Treasurer’s office on the one-year anniversary of October 7 on the importance of “maintain[ing] our important relationship with the people of Israel,” while declining to mention any of Israel’s war crimes. At the time of Beck’s one-year anniversary statement, the United Nations reported that Israeli attacks had killed over 41,600 Palestinians following the October 7 attack. Women and children accounted for at least half of the death toll. A Drop Site reporter was promptly removed from the NYC fundraiser—held at a pizza restaurant—after attempting to attend. Jackson is by no means only surrounded by pro-Israel donors at such events. Some attendees going in described themselves as anti-zionist. Defenders of the campaign, including Evan LeBrun, who was Jackson’s organizing director before leaving for the AFL-CIO, noted on a Jackson volunteer discord that the fundraiser was also co-hosted by Alexis Bittar, a Brooklyn-based jeweler who helped fundraise for Zohran Mamdani and was a supporter of Platner’s. “Not defending Henry Beck at all, and wish he weren’t attending, but I don’t think it’s fair to describe this as a pro-Israel fundraiser,” he told concerned volunteers in a Discord message that was shared with Drop Site. LeBrun did not respond to requests for comment. People Powered Movement Concern over Jackson consultants moderating on Israel’s genocide in Gaza has spilled over into the People Powered Movement (PPM), a group formed by the 10,000 volunteers who backed Graham Platner in the primary campaign. Since Platner was replaced, the organization has held organizing events for state and local candidates across Maine, and have actively supported Jackson’s bid for Senate despite being iced out of formal involvement with the campaign itself. PPM has drafted a host of letters from volunteers they are sending directly to Jackson’s campaign. Drop Site has reviewed several of these letters, which call for Jackson to “stop listening to the DSCC and Democratic Party Establishment politicos,” because they’re “not Mainers, and they don’t know what we need.” The documents call on Jackson to hold a “town hall barnstormer” across the state, “telling your personal story, “ and “calling what’s going on in Gaza a genocide.” “We are rooting for you and we are 100% behind you, but we need this campaign to be ferociously urgent, completely open, genuinely grass roots and unrelentingly aggressive,” one letter says. “You need to run like you have nothing to lose, it’s the only way we will win.” Another letter reviewed by Drop Site is from a Jewish volunteer who describes himself as “the son of two Holocaust survivors who lost many relatives in concentration camps in Europe” and currently has family living in Israel. “What the Israeli government has done in the past three years is genocide, unequivocally. They have killed thousands and thousands of Palestinians and continue to do so,” the letter says. “Our government has enabled this slaughter by funding the ISraeli military machine to the tune of billions of dollars that could have been spent supporting peace efforts there and supporting working folks here.” The letter concludes by stating, “I am struggling to support your candidacy if you can’t call what is happening in Gaza a genocide and advocate for sanctions against Israel and an immediate freeze on all arms sales to Israel.” Areeba Fatima contributed reporting. Correction: The piece previously stated that Jackson’s campaign had not entered the top 5 list on ActBlue since July. It was in the top five twice in September. Leave it to the Democratic Party to sabotage an easy to win election. Constituents articulated what they wanted in candidate Graham Platner. That candidate was taken out in a campaign coup and then replaced by Troy who openly pledged he was aligned with his agenda. The Democratic Party is traitorous to their constituents and beholden to the Zionist agenda. This is beyond infuriating. We’re in the middle of an authoritarian non democratic takeover of the country and the Democrats are obliging to cooperate in fealty to Israel. We need to push all candidates even harder on Zionism. Calling for no more weapons sales is inadequate. We need to demand that candidates support US intervention of some sort to end the Palestinian people's holocaust by fascists.