Saturday, 12 July 2025

College Athletes Allegedly Offered Money To Endorse Vulnerable Senate Democrat

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College athletes in Montana are allegedly being offered up to thousands of dollars to produce endorsement videos of Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), Fox News reports.

Tester is widely believed to be the most vulnerable Senate Democrat in the 2024 election cycle.

The outlet reported a group called “Montana Together” offered payments to athletes at the University of Montana in exchange for the endorsement videos.

Per Fox News:

In July, the initial contact was made on behalf of “Montana Together” through a representative at Opendorce.com, a platform used as a marketplace for athletes to score Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. NIL is a policy approved by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2021 that allows college athletes to monetize their content.

The group was offering student athletes a range of offers from $400 to $2,400 in exchange for a video “spreading the word” about the Democratic senator, a copy of the emails shared with Fox News Digital reveals.

“We have an NIL opportunity for Montana student-athletes, and I could use your help getting the information below to any individuals who you recommend applying for this campaign. Montana Together is using Opendorse to source athletes for an NIL deal,” the email obtained by Fox News Digital reads. “Who are they looking for?: Athletes who attend college in Montana and are interested in spreading the word about Senator Jon Tester and causes you care about.”

The deals were offered as follows: $400 for two scripted videos, $800 for two unscripted videos, and $2,400 for four unscripted videos.

Tester’s campaign told Fox News Digital they have no knowledge of the offers and aren’t in communication with the group.

“Tester was one of 51 Democrats who voted against an amendment to prevent biological men from competing in women’s sports,” Outkick noted.

Outkick reports:

Based on the emails, Sen. Tester and his campaign come across as incredibly desperate. Given his stance on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports – something voters in the historically red state of Montana are likely very passionate about – his desperation makes sense.

Sen. Tester was one of 51 Democrats who voted against a Republican-led amendment to prevent biological men from competing in women’s sports.

Lily Meskers, a track athlete at the University of Montana who first made the offer to athletes public, remembered the senator’s stance on that specific matter.

“When I first received the NIL deal offer, I immediately felt frustration. I had to ask myself, ‘Why would someone seek my endorsement when their values directly negatively impact me?’ Tester’s vote against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act is against everything I’ve worked toward as a female athlete,” Meskers explained.

“This vote is a gateway to biological men taking away scholarships, medals and roster spots from female athletes. Many female athletes on my team shared this frustration.”


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