Ted Cruz's campaign is addressing growing ethical concern surrounding a hefty payment made to the Republican Senator's PAC by the company that broadcasts his podcast.
The data from the Federal Election Commission shows iHeartMedia donated $630,850 to the Truth and Courage PAC, which supports' Ted Cruz's campaign, over the course of a year. That sum constitutes nearly a third of the PAC's total revenue since the beginning of 2023.
Because iHeartMedia broadcasts Cruz's "Verdict With Ted Cruz" podcast, critics are sounding the alarm and asking if election authorities should be looking into into possible ethics violations, according to Newsweek.
Speaking to The Houston Chronicle, a spokesperson for Cruz said the senator "appears on Verdict three times a week for free."
"He does this to pull back the veil on the corrupt inner workings of Washington none of which ever get fairly covered. How convenient that the mainstream media and the cogs in the machine of the Biden-Pelosi Democrat Party want this to stop."
iHeartMedia vice president Rachel Nelson also told the Chronicle the company's payments to Truth and Courage PAC are "associated with those advertising sales" for his podcast.
"Sen. Cruz volunteers his time to host this podcast and isn't compensated for it."
The Texas Senator is expected to face a tough road to election in November from challenger Colin Allred, a Democrat and former NFL player who currently serves in the House of Representatives.
Cruz narrowly defeated Democrat Beto O'Rourke by less than three percent of the vote, and his seat is widely regarded as competitive in 2024.
