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| A Grenawalt photo from senior year of high school |
The Rick Snyder election camp is quickly trying to knock
down a story dug up by Eclectablog.com that raises the possibility that Snyder’s
team was attempting to infiltrate the campaign of his Democratic opponent, Mark
Schauer.
A 19-year-old intern for Gov. Snyder’s re-election effort
sent an email to a top Schauer aide on Tuesday ago seeking a job within the Democratic
campaign. Several online posts show that Taylor Grenawalt from East Lansing is
an ardent Snyder supporter while the email gave no such indication.
sent an email to a top Schauer aide on Tuesday ago seeking a job within the Democratic
campaign. Several online posts show that Taylor Grenawalt from East Lansing is
an ardent Snyder supporter while the email gave no such indication.
The Snyder campaign team denies any knowledge of Grenawalt’s
clandestine activities and they say that the college freshman has been fired. When
I sent an email to Snyder campaign spokesperson Emily Benavides this afternoon
about Grenawalt’s mischief, she called me within approximately 60 seconds.
clandestine activities and they say that the college freshman has been fired. When
I sent an email to Snyder campaign spokesperson Emily Benavides this afternoon
about Grenawalt’s mischief, she called me within approximately 60 seconds.
“As soon as the campaign found out about the email (last
night), we talked to Taylor and he admitted he did this on his own volition,”
Benavides said. “As a direct result, Taylor is no longer working with the
campaign.
night), we talked to Taylor and he admitted he did this on his own volition,”
Benavides said. “As a direct result, Taylor is no longer working with the
campaign.
“The campaign will not condone or tolerate these kinds of
actions.”
actions.”
Of course, Taylorgate (I couldn’t resist) comes after the
Snyder campaign was accused in March of sending a fake CNN cameraman to Schauer
campaign events, supposedly in the hope of catching some comments and video
that would prove embarrassing to the presumed Democratic nominee for governor.
Snyder campaign was accused in March of sending a fake CNN cameraman to Schauer
campaign events, supposedly in the hope of catching some comments and video
that would prove embarrassing to the presumed Democratic nominee for governor.
In that instance, the cameraman had done some work in the
past for the Snyder campaign but the governor’s team denied any knowledge of Jeff Steinborn’s actions while carrying a fake media ID.
past for the Snyder campaign but the governor’s team denied any knowledge of Jeff Steinborn’s actions while carrying a fake media ID.
In the newest incident, Eclectablog, a progressive website, posted the six-sentence email to Schauer’s deputy campaign manager, Tess Troha-Thompson, in which
the Snyder intern said he’s “very interested in volunteering and getting
involved . . . with the Mark Schauer campaign.”
the Snyder intern said he’s “very interested in volunteering and getting
involved . . . with the Mark Schauer campaign.”
The Schauer campaign reportedly did a bit of checking and
quickly discoveredt the teen’s connection to the opposition. Benavides said
Grenawalt served as a part-time intern for only about a month.
quickly discoveredt the teen’s connection to the opposition. Benavides said
Grenawalt served as a part-time intern for only about a month.
On his LinkedIn page,
he described his role in the Snyder campaign as doing “data research and
analysis for Governor Rick Snyder’s reelection campaign,” according to
Electablog’s Chris Savage, who preemptively dismissed the idea that Grenawalt
may have naively envisioned a role as a campaign spy.
he described his role in the Snyder campaign as doing “data research and
analysis for Governor Rick Snyder’s reelection campaign,” according to
Electablog’s Chris Savage, who preemptively dismissed the idea that Grenawalt
may have naively envisioned a role as a campaign spy.
Savage wrote: “Given that Grenawalt just completed his
freshman year at Brown, it’s pretty unlikely that he was acting on his own.”
freshman year at Brown, it’s pretty unlikely that he was acting on his own.”
As for the folks at Schauer’s camp, well, they see the governor
repeating history.
repeating history.
“It looks like Republican Rick Snyder has sunk to a new low,”
campaign spokesman Zach Pohl said. “First he sent a campaign staffer to pose as
a fake CNN reporter at a Schauer town hall and now he’s sending interns to spy
on our campaign. This is a desperate and Nixonian move, and the people of
Michigan deserve better from our governor. Snyder needs to stop the dirty
tricks and apologize.”
campaign spokesman Zach Pohl said. “First he sent a campaign staffer to pose as
a fake CNN reporter at a Schauer town hall and now he’s sending interns to spy
on our campaign. This is a desperate and Nixonian move, and the people of
Michigan deserve better from our governor. Snyder needs to stop the dirty
tricks and apologize.”
*****
In a prior version of this post, I misidentified Eclectablog.com, the website that broke this story. I also failed to provide a link to Eclectablog’s detailed coverage of this story. I apologize and I now provide the link above and here.
Chad, That's Eclectablog.com, Thank You. I notice a pattern here of fumbling the info for other sources, not including links when they would be helpful. While Eclectic does describe a kind of variety and diversity, perhaps Electablog is more appropriate to their purpose–Electing progressives. 🙂