Eli Crane and Juan Ciscomani, two Arizona Republicans for the U. S. House of Representatives. In the U. S. , they have articulated cross positions that Washington is spending too much money.
But anyone took from the federal paycheck coverage program.
Crane and Ciscomani respond that government assistance was needed because companies were forced to shut down the pandemic, either by closures dictated by most nationals.
The program was created as part of the two-trillion-dollar two-trillion-dollar coronavirus aid, relief, and economic security act (CARES) that then-President Donald Trump signed into law on March 27, 2020.
The two Republican candidates running in other congressional districts also argue that receiving government assistance in the pandemic exclusive in life negates their overall confidence that Washington is spending and exceeding limits.
The two applicants did not criticize the CARES Act, but also campaigned with fiscally conservative messages.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which is working to elect Democrats to the House, and some, though all, of their warring republican major parties have called Crane and Ciscomani’s moves “hypocrites. “
Crane, a Veteran Navy SEAL who hopes to topple incumbent Democratic Rep. Tom O’Halleran, is running as a Republican in Arizona’s vast Congressional District 2, which is located northeast of Arizona.
“From my time in the Navy to that of a small business owner, I have committed my life to serving this country because I believe with all the fibers of my being that America is the greatest country on Earth. For me, it’s valuable to die,” says a cross-email from Crane. Now, fellow conservative, do you that our politicians today have the same convictions?. . . These false patriots are more interested in lining their pockets. “
Crane’s company, Bottle Breachers, which sells bottle openers in the form of Array50-caliber cartridges, legally took only about $70,000 as part of a PPP loan, which it eventually paid off through the SBA.
Ciscomani, a senior adviser to Gov. Doug Ducey, hopes to make Arizona’s 6th congressional district, which includes Tucson and much of Cochise County.
On its website, Ciscomani states that it believes that “taxpayers will be able to keep more of their hard-earned money, because they know how to spend it better than government bureaucrats. “
Ciscomani’s consulting firm, Two Worlds Branding, earned more than $2,000 in PPP loans for its small business. He also served for more than 12 years on the board of a nonprofit, Torch of Freedom, which accepted more than $41,000 in PPP. .
The Ciscomani crusade said the last Torch of Freedom Foundation board meeting it voted on in January 2020 and that the resolution to vote on whether or not to settle for ppPArray was held in May 2020, when Ciscomani is not a gift.
However, on a financial disclosure form filed on October 1, 2021 and required for all congressional candidates, Ciscomani registers as a board member of the Torch of Freedom Foundation. His crusade says this has been included in a plethora of precautions.
The PPP, which is controlled through the Small Business Administration, with assistance from the U. S. Department of the Treasury. In the U. S. , it has financially helped small businesses and other diverse organizations, such as nonprofits, during the pandemic. The owners earned enough cash to, among other things, keep workers in their jobs for up to two months. Approximately 650,000 small businesses and nonprofits borrowed as of June 30, 2020.
Crane and Ciscomani used the loans in accordance with the law’s purpose of saving jobs. According to the Trump administration, the small businesses that kept their staff hired were for the economy.
More than a portion of PPP loans ended up in the hands of large employers.
The PPP had in 2020, and even now, crane and Ciscomani challengers have not been entirely critical.
However, Johanna Warshaw, a DCCC spokeswoman, said Ciscomani and Crane’s moves are contrary to their publicly stated views.
“It doesn’t get any more hypocritical that Eli Crane and Juan Ciscomani are pocketing COVID relief dollars for themselves while opposing the same relief for Arizonenses who paint hard,” he told The Republic in a written statement. “His approach” to charging for me but not for you, “you just wouldn’t do paintings in the Grand Canyon state. “
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In a video of the crusade, Crane, while appearing to get a tattoo, says, “The challenge with Washington politicians is that they don’t have the skin in the game. Everything revolves around them and almost never around us. Well, it’s not myself. ” – politician in the service. . . “
In a Dec. 23 Instagram post, Crane criticized the December 2020 COVID-19 stimulus bill to expand the national debt. However, this bill funded the PPP, from which Crane’s small business had benefited months earlier, which also helped build up the national debt.
“Billions of dollars in debt. This is the kind of impeccable habit that brought us here in the first place. Coming to the end, the American people. U. S. collective selling continues. . . The most productive component is, in your opinion, who will pay for it in the end?How long will the dollar keep its price while we keep printing cash we don’t have? »
Furthermore, on his crusade website, Crane states, “Arizona’s economy is strong because of conservative policies; we cannot allow Washington politicians and Democrats to weaken our state with bad policies, such as trillions of dollars in handouts and high taxes. . . “
Bottle Breacher LLC accepted a $68,125 PPP loan on April 30, 2020 to protect 10 jobs from the pandemic.
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Pat Aquilina, Crane’s crusade manager, says Crane’s moves are not hypocritical, arguing that the national government ordered the closure of the candidate’s business in the early stages of the pandemic and therefore deserves to make up for some of the losses Crane suffered through no fault of his own. .
“The PPP program implemented to compensate for the damage caused by the mandatory government shutdown of Eli Crane’s personal company,” Aquilina said. your business.
Crane, the founder and owner of the now Tucson-based company, hires existing and former military members to make bottle workers, among other things, from recycled . 50-caliber bullets. Crane’s wife, Jen, is also listed as the owner. on site. He companyd it in his San Diego garage in 2012.
“When the government forced Eli Crane’s personal business to close like many American businesses, he applied for a $60,000 paycheck coverage program loan,” Aquilina said. “Despite the closure of more than a month, Eli made sure that all workers earned a paycheck from his company until the end outside the loan program window. In fact, Eli then rejected PPP loans because his business was able to reopen and resume general operations without government consent. Eli Crane’s business is absolutely debt-free.
According to the SBA, the PPP loan was thought to be “paid in full” as it was paid off at $68,826. 78, adding interest.
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Ciscomani, along with his wife Laura, founded Tucson-based Two Worlds Branding, according to a page that has since been removed from their website.
Both registered the small business with the Arizona Corporation Commission on September 6, 2011, with Laura indexed as a statutory agent and Juan Deputy Director as a member, Two Worlds Branding, which provides consulting to nonprofits, was indexed as active and in a smart position. of April.
To keep a job, his company earned $2,117 from the government as part of the first round of PPP loans. Approved on May 1, 2020, the government loan was delivered through the Wells Fargo Association of Banks.
According to the SBA, the loan, which is considered “paid in full,” was paid off in full at $2146. 93, plus interest.
Ciscomani states on its website: “I worked with other people from Southern Arizona. . . to understand their considerations and promote a limited government agenda, because we know that the wonderful government in Washington is not the solution to the disorders we face. “
Daniel Scarpinato, a spokesman for the Ciscomani campaign, says that while the CARES Act is not without its flaws, the government had a duty to help compensate organizations after ordering their closure.
He told The Republic: “When it comes to last year’s efforts, it’s hard to hypothetically communicate about the law that John didn’t have the chance to make an effect on, but while it’s not perfect, he actually agrees that anything had to be done to protect small businesses, nonprofits, professional associations and people who, through no fault of their own, have been affected by the pandemic, basically due to government-imposed shutdowns. other people are back to work, solving our supply chain and cutting Washington’s spending. And going too far. “
Tara Kavaler is a political reporter at The Arizona Republic. You can reach her by email at tara. kavaler@arizonarepublic. com or Twitter: @kavalertara.