UPDATED: Griffin's "Gatekeeper": Threats, Intimidation, and Promises of Campaign Cash
Billionaire Ken Griffin’s “gatekeeper,” Cason Carter, is alleged to use his proximity to Griffin to threaten and intimidate potential opponents to Griffin’s statewide slate.
In multiple stories about the slate of Republican candidates backed by billionaire donor Ken Griffin, we’re told candidates have not personally spoken with Griffin.
But, multiple sources say Griffin’s slate is being engineered by two top confidants and their tactics have included threats, intimidation, bullying, and the promises of campaign cash to get out of a primary.
Griffin’s top aide involved in the search for candidates is Cason Carter, the Director of Public Affairs for Griffin’s Citadel LLC hedge fund and investment firm. Carter is an Oklahoma native, former candidate for Tulsa City Council and Oklahoma State Senate, and joined Griffin’s firm in 2017.
Also involved in Griffin’s outreach is Mike Zolnerowicz, known in Republican circles as “Mike Z,” a former Chief of Staff and campaign manager to Governor Bruce Rauner and longtime aide to former Sen. Mark Kirk.
Sources say Carter was among those dispatched by Griffin offering millions of dollars in campaign cash to businessman Gary Rabine to bow out of the race for Governor if he chose instead to run for U.S. Senate. A spokesperson for the Rabine campaign did not return a message asking to confirm the story.
According to multiple people with knowledge of the situation, both Carter and Zolnerowicz attempted to engineer downstate venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan’s exit from the race for Governor to join Griffin’s slate as candidate for State Treasurer. When Sullivan refused, we’re told, the two men threatened Sullivan with political repercussions. The pair even forced a Republican fundraising firm to stop working with Sullivan or risk losing all of its GOP business. A spokesman for Sullivan declined to comment.
UPDATE (5:43 P.M.):
A Citadel spokesman said both the Rabine and Sullivan stories are untrue.
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“You have these out-of-state consultants running this race and they don’t give a [care] about Illinois in the long run,” said one longtime GOP operative. “They’re trying to just sidestep party activists and buy votes through television ads. It’s not good.”
Along with Carter’s Oklahoma roots, records show Zolnerowicz has moved to Tennessee and top communications consultant Lance Trover lives in Washington, DC. Neither Carter or a spokesman for Griffin responded to a message from The Illinoize Monday.
Carter has reportedly told people in multiple meetings that what he says may as well “directly come from” Griffin himself.
“They order everyone around, they threaten people, they threaten fundraisers, they cut off fundraising to other candidates. All kinds of threats to everybody,” the consultant said. “They’re trying to steamroll this thing and the arrogance is mind boggling. But they’re view is, we’ve got the money, so [screw] you.”
Carter is often treated as the gatekeeper between candidates and Griffin himself, acting as a conduit with all campaigns and candidates.
“These guys are probably the least popular people in the Republican party in the state right now. Rank and file voters are furious with this,” a GOP source said. “Rauner almost lost to Jeanne Ives and the party’s gotten more Trumpy since then. And they’ve got a candidate that’s got some flaws.”
In their recruitment of Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin for Governor, we’re told Carter was often unaware of potential opposition research issues already known about Irvin, including issues that will likely be brought up by other campaigns.
“They’re just insufferable,” a longtime GOP insider said.
The Irvin campaign did not respond to a phone call Monday.
Others say the billionaire and his consultants are splitting apart the Illinois GOP.
“I want [our] team to win, but these guys have created schisms that are going to be tough to repair,” the consultant said. “And, they’re just going to get Darren Bailey the nomination.”
Bailey is often seen as too right wing to win a general election.
“They have a higher opinion of themselves than they probably should,” said the Republican insider. “The Rauner campaign and administration was a disaster.”
It still isn’t clear what role Griffin is playing in the final strategic play for the slate, but some believe Griffin is playing more of a role than is being publicly laid out.
“Clearly, Carter is the gatekeeper,” the insider said. “And he’s keeping tight control on who is getting to Griffin.”
Whether that will backfire in the end will be known in around three months.