Oracle founder Larry Ellison gave $250,000 to a political action committee supporting South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham’s 2020 reelection campaign. The funds were donated on September 14, the same day that the Oracle deal with TikTok was settled, The Verge has reported.
TikTok needed an American partner because the Trump Administration was going to block its operations in the U.S. Due to its Chinese ownership. The US Commerce Department did indeed issue an order blocking the video social media app from US services, but this was mooted by the Oracle deal.
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The President cited national security concerns in that he thinks that Tik Tok could somehow be used to spy on American interests. But it is not clear exactly how this would happen. India has already banned Tik Tok.
Last month Larry Ellison’s company won out over competitors to take over TikTok’s US operations. Under the deal Oracle will take a 12.5% stake in TikTok’s global business, and together with Walmart will own a new company called TikTok Global.
But the deal needed approval from both the Chinese government and the Trump Administration. President Trump did give his approval.
From the outset some people smelled a rat as Larry Ellison has been a supporter of President Donald Trump. Now it seems that he may have also greased the wheels of some important politicians as well.
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Great decision by President Trump to approve the sale of TikTok to Oracle and Walmart.
Great for American consumers who are being protected from the Chinese Communist Party. https://t.co/niFMHjLb1f
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 20, 2020
Senator Lindsey Graham is having a tough time in his bid for a fourth term representing South Carolina in the US Senate. He is running against African American candidate Jaime Harrison.
While polls now show both Senator Graham and President Trump opening up wide leads in the heavily Republican state, this was not the case a month ago. Senator Graham has been targeted by many due to his strong support of President Trump.
Jamie Harrison has reportedly raised $57 million for his campaign. That’s a lot of money for a Senate bid.
Lindsey Graham took personal credit for the TikTok deal boasting that he was the one who first suggested to President Trump that he find an American company to take over its US operations.
But Oracle was in competition with some heavy hitters like Microsoft.
While it has been pointed out that a Super PAC does not cooperate or communicate with a candidate directly, this still smells rotten. Candidates obviously know which Super PACS support them.
