Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and director of a number of the Marvel Avengers films, is less known for his vehemently anti-Republican stances and financial backing of Ohio Democrats.
Whedon, in recent years, has made several extreme and vulgar statements about Republicans, and is using his financial resources to back a number of Ohio House Democrats. And some of those efforts may be running afoul of campaign finance laws.
“Even CONSIDERING this nomination will cement the first American dictatorship [Emphasis in original],” Whedon said of the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In one tweet, which got him suspended from the social media platform, he asked for President Donald Trump to “just quietly die.”
“Donald trump is killing this country. Some of it quickly, some slowly, but he spoils and destroys everything he touches. He emboldens monsters, wielding guns, governmental power, or just smug doublespeak. Or Russia. My hate and sadness are exhausting,” Whedon tweeted, according to The Daily Wire.
Even worse, he once joked about retiring House Speaker Paul Ryan being gored to death, saying he wants a “rhino to f–k Speaker Ryan to death with its horn because it’s funny.” Before Trump took office, he called for him to be removed by a coup, saying he could not “be allowed a term in office.”
Campaign finance reports show that Whedon made a total of eleven contributions to Ohio House Democrats, including Beth Liston and Mary Lightbody, totaling $38,765.00. But there’s some question as to whether these contributions were reported correctly under Ohio law.
Lightbody posted on her Facebook page that her donation was used to produce a campaign video by a progressive Super PAC called One Vote At a Time. But One Vote At A Time is a Super PAC registered with the Federal Elections Commission and cannot coordinate with a state candidate like Lightbody.
Lightbody’s campaign finance report shows that on Sept. 20, 2018 she received a contribution in the amount of $4,085.00 from Whedon, who usually lists his address as a P.O. Box in Malibu. Lightbody then reports that she paid OH Must You Productions/One Vote At A Time the amount of $4,084.94 on Sept. 23, 2018 for campaign videos. The corporate production company, which is owned by Whedon, uses the same Malibu P.O. Box.
Likewise, campaign finance reports filed by One Vote At A Time do not show any corresponding payments from Lightbody.
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Scott Pullins is an attorney, charter school board member, and a regular contributor for The Ohio Star. Photo “Joss Whedon” by Gage Skidmore.
[…] In at least one instance, Whedon may have already violated campaign finance law. […]