The founder of Pastors for Trump, Jackson Lahmeyer, called an evangelical leader a "street whore" for accepting money from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' campaign.
Bob Vander Plaats, the president and CEO of Christian conservative Iowa-based nonprofit The FAMiLY Leader, endorsed DeSantis for president on Fox News on Tuesday. Lahmeyer, who heads the coalition of pastors supporting former President Donald Trump's 2024 presidential run, took multiple jabs at Vander Plaats the next night.
Newsweek reached out to Pastors for Trump via online form and Plaats via email for comment.
Lahmeyer attacked Vander Plaats' integrity in a reply to a post by Trump's former lawyer Jenna Ellis, who accepted a plea deal in the criminal case against Trump and 18 co-defendants who are accused of conspiring to overturn 2020 election results in Georgia.
Ellis wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "Trump Camp says everyone who endorses anyone else is a 'fraud.' They're actively lying about @bobvanderplaats and impugning the integrity of evangelicals. So no one is allowed to have a different political viewpoint anymore? Sounds a lot like the petty tyrant Democrats."
Lahmeyer responded: "I'd say @bobvanderplaats has damaged the integrity of evangelicals by prostituting out his endorsement for $95k... not good."
The pastor was referring to the $95,000 that the DeSantis campaign, a super PAC linked to the governor, and a nonprofit group supporting him paid to Vander Plaats's foundation, according to campaign finance reports and a document prepared by an Iowa state lawmaker who aided The FAMiLY Leader in raising money for a presidential candidate forum this past July.
In exchange for the money, DeSantis and supporting groups received advertisements in a booklet distributed at the July forum as well as attendance to the summit, lunch, and an after-dinner event.
Lahmeyer wrote in another X post on Wednesday night: "As the founder of Pastors For Trump, I can confidently state that I didn't receive $95k from the Trump campaign. Real faith leaders support @realDonaldTrump. Shame on @bobvanderplaats."
Dr. Patrick McGuinness, a supporter of Ron DeSantis, replied to Lahmeyer's post: "You are repeating a slander. Your false witness is unbecoming any pastor. Shame on YOU. You endorse a narcissistic liar who cheated on all 3 of his wives, was found liable of malicious lying, and has 91 indictments on charges, most related to various lies and dishonesty," referring to Trump.
Lahmeyer replied: "The behavior of @bobvanderplaats is indistinguishable from a common street whore."
Responding to the money DeSantis' team made to Vander Plaats' foundation, Trump, who is the front-runner among his fellow GOP candidates in the 2024 race, said on Truth Social: "Ron DeDeSanctimonious, in an act of sheer desperation, paid Iowa preacher Bob Vander Plaats $100,000, and then got his Endorsement? We did not seek it. What is going on here?"
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