Denver School Board member Tay Anderson is big on accepting gifts and donations, but not the kind that are reportable campaign contributions.
An opinion writer to the Denver Gazette points out the most recent effort, Anderson’s major announcement with professionally produced videos and a social media campaign to announce he will soon become a father.
Congratulations by the way, Tay.
Then Anderson asked for baby presents and unveiled a gift registry, which shows he’s already got 57 presents totaling nearly $1,900 heading his way. All that’s left to buy him is $100 in diapers.
Jimmy Sengenberger, host of the KNUS radio show, asks in the opinion piece who paid the digital content strategist and award-winning filmmaker to produce the baby announcement video and other expensive-looking social media seen recently coming from Tay’s account.
Anderson spent ten days building up to a “big announcement” that got most thinking he had a campaign statement. Ultimately, he released a professional video hitting on BLM themes. The baby registry link accompanied an emotive video like only a public figure could do – and supporters flocked to buy things.
Then there was the time Anderson fell during a homeless camp sweep and claimed police pushed him, then hours later started a GoFundMe account that raised more than $13,000 to pay for his trip to the emergency room.
I get more calls saying I should I look into @DPSNewsNow board member Tay Anderson than any other call. BTW, the majority of those calls are from Democrats. Tay needs to answer the questions. #copolitics https://t.co/DIte7s5AfA
— Lynn Bartels (@lynn_bartels) March 5, 2021
And the time Anderson raised more than $12,000 in another GoFundMe account to travel to Washington, D.C., after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died.
Sengenberger poses a lot of questions about these fundraising ventures, with the reminder that Anderson doesn’t seem to actually have a job that pays him a salary. We don’t even know how Tay pays his rent.
The question of how self-described “Dad-Elect” Anderson is paying his daily bills is not immaterial when he’s benefited from things like multiple online fundraisers and a high-profile baby registry. Given his position as a board member for Colorado’s largest school district and prominence as an activist in a significant political movement, it’s time for Tay Anderson to account for himself.
It’s an interesting read, check out the whole column here.
Bartels is right, Tay needs to answer these and other questions posed by Sengenberger.