Jane Fonda donates $100G in bid to defeat California Rep. Issa
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Actress Jane Fonda donated $100,000 to a political group's effort to remove Rep. Darrell Issa from Congress in the 2018 midterm elections. (Reuters)
Count Jane Fonda as the latest liberal Hollywood celebrity to donate big bucks in an effort to oust U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa in next year's midterm elections.
"Hanoi Jane," who will turn 80 years old Thursday, reportedly has contributed $100,000 to Flip the 49th! Neighbors in Action, a political action committee looking to turn California's 49th Congressional District over to the Democrats.
The group has already received $15,000 from HBO's "Real Time" host Bill Maher as well as $2,500 from Leonardo DiCaprio, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Issa has held the 49th district House seat since 2001.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to defeat Darrell Issa, one of Congress’s wealthiest members, and we call upon patriots from across the country to support our efforts,” spokesman Jeremy Addis-Mills told the Union-Tribune by email.
But despite Fonda’s large contribution, Issa campaign spokesman Calvin Moore argued the actress’ generosity might not have the desired outcome for the anti-Issa effort, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Especially for a district that’s home to Camp Pendleton and so many Marines and veterans who’ve served our country honorably, having protesters and political opposition funded by Jane Fonda -- who sided with North Vietnam government over our men and women in uniform -- isn’t really going to play very well for them, “ he said, according to the Free Beacon.
Fonda was dubbed “Hanoi Jane” after she visited North Vietnam and criticized the damage done by U.S. bombing. Issa’s district of northern San Diego County has a strong military presence, in addition to being the home of Camp Pendleton, where nearly 100,000 Marines are stationed, the Free Beacon reported.
Seeking to challenge Issa next year are Democratic primary contenders Doug Applegate, a retired Marine colonel who lost to Issa in 2016 election by less than 2,000 votes, and Mike Levin, an environmentalist lawyer, the Free Beacon reported.