Mayor Ed Gainey says President Donald Trump's supporters are trying to buy the election...by infusing money into the campaign of his Democratic primary rival, Corey O'Connor.
The Gainey campaign asserts that 20 percent of the money that O'Connor raised in January came from Trump donors as part of a MAGA effort to take over the Pittsburgh mayoral race.
“These same billionaires are meddling in our Democratic primary to for their right-wing, anti-worker, anti-family, anti-union agenda down our throat,” said Gainey, during a news conference on Monday.
This comes after an article appeared Monday in left-leaning publication The Guardian saying among others, Republican donors like Clifford Forrest donated to O'Connor, after also having given a million dollars to Trump's Inaugural committee.
While O'Connor hasn't responded to our request for comments, he did point out to the Guardian that Gainey also took money from Republicans in 2021, including $5,000 from Forrest.
But, a spokesperson for Gainey said that donation from Forrest was returned
The Pittsburgh Republican Committee declined comment referring questions to newly elected Allegheny County GOP Chair Jason Richey, who said while he had no firsthand knowledge of the donations, he said the donors may be doing it to oppose the progressives in the Democratic party in the way they see fit.