{
  "id": 10916232,
  "title": "John Fetterman’s Right-Wing Fundraising Deals",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/john-fettermans-right-wing-fundraising-deals",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-30T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Atlantic",
    "slug": "the-atlantic",
    "url": "https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/09/fetterman-gop-senate-fundraising/688824/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Republican fundraising consultant Leah Mergener alerted her colleagues to a unique fundraising opportunity from Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania. The appeal, signed by Fetterman, was written to attract donors sympathetic to President Trump and raised funds through a payment-processing firm used by Republicans. Mergener proposed a 75% split, meaning 75% of the first donation each recipient made would be kept by the organization sending the appeal, with Fetterman gaining new donor contact information. Senator Mike Lee of Utah shared Fetterman's appeal with his own fundraising list, encouraging support for a potential party switch. Fetterman's political trajectory has shifted since his 2022 Senate win, becoming vocal about his dissatisfaction with his party and considering leaving it. Recent polling shows a decline in his favorability among Democrats, with many perceiving him as more Republican than Democrat. This development marks a shift in Fetterman's political landscape and raises concerns for Democratic leaders.",
  "summary": "After losing his Democratic fundraisers, the Pennsylvania senator found a new firm with MAGA-world ties.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}