PENNSYLVANIA — Earlier this week, Spotlight PA reported that Republican Senate Leader Jake Corman is under scrutiny for his close ties to Harrisburg consultant Ray Zaborney, whose firms known as the Mavericks “have the market cornered” on shady lobbying practices in Harrisburg. Spotlight PA notes that the Mavericks “fundraise for elected officials, run their political campaigns, then lobby them once they are in office.”
One of Zaborney’s other notable clients is SD-22 candidate Chris Chermak, who noted in a March interview with the Scranton Times-Tribune that his campaign is run by Zaborney’s firm Red Maverick Media.
Zaborney’s lobbying partner was recently hired as Corman’s chief of staff. Corman has fundraised for Zaborney’s “secretive” dark money nonprofit, and today Corman will attend a “ritzy” $5,000-a-ticket golf fundraiser held by the Mavericks in Arizona even as he tries to sell Harrisburg on lobbying reform.
“Harrisburg Republicans have turned our legislature into a playground for the wealthy lobbyists and consultants who run their campaigns — and Chris Chermak is no different,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Party spokesman Brendan Welch. “The people of NEPA deserve a Senator who will fight for them, but as long as Chermak employs Ray Zaborney, we know he’ll always put lobbyists and special interests first.”
###