TRAVEL LIKE TRISTON: Luxury Vacation Giveaway Spotlights Cole's Hawaii Trip Paid For By Lobbyists Trying To Kill The Electoral College

 

By Brandon Hall

(Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com)

4 years ago, in the summer of 2018, West Michigan Politics broke a blockbuster story involving legislators jet-setting to Hawaii to party with National Popular Vote lobbyists hell bent on eliminating the electoral college at the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort.

The tab for the luxurious trip was picked up by the NPV lobbyists, and when the legislators returned, they immediately sponsored a bill to give away Michigan's 16 electoral votes.

Westin Hapuna Beach Resort

Legislators so brazenly acting like high priced hookers astonished many, and the uproar was massive.

A joint investigation by Bridge and Michigan Campaign Finance Network soon confirmed the WMP report.

"Little information has been made public about the seminars. The trips first came to light in September when a conservative blogger wrote that two GOP lawmakers, the primary bill sponsors ‒ Kelly and Sen. David Hildenbrand, of Lowell ‒ may have attended the seminar in Hawaii.

News of the Hawaii trip first broke on Sept. 9 — four days after bills to have Michigan join the compact were introduced in the Legislature and three days after a House committee and a Senate committee took testimony on them without voting to advance them.

Brandon Hall, the conservative blogger, alleged on his website West Michigan Politics that Hildenbrand, from Lowell, and Kelly, from Saginaw, were “believed to have attended” an August trip to Hawaii before sponsoring the legislation in September.

“Republican grassroots activists strongly oppose the legislation, as many believe in the Electoral College system our Constitution prescribes,” Hall warned at the time. "

Speaker Leonard then made it clear in a statement to West Michigan Politics that the National Popular Vote was dead in Michigan, and would never even make it to the House floor. Almost as soon as the controversy started, it was "over."

Scandals like this though have Friday the 13th qualities: you just don't know when Jason will show up again!

Fast forward to 2022. 

One of the hook----excuse me, legislators---attending was State Rep. Triston Cole from Mancelona. He is currently seeking the State Senate seat in the eastern half of the Yoop and the Northern lower peninsula.

A website is now offering any Michigander a chance to party down, live it up, and"travel like Triston."

TravelLikeTriston.com is giving away an amazing vacation to Hawaii for 2, and the winner will even stay at the same hotel as Cole! Probably not the same room though, that might be kinda creepy.

Anyway---go sign up, tell your friends and family, and soon, you too may be saying "adios" to Big Gretch, and "Aloha" to the beautiful Hawaiian islands for a few days!

TRAVELLIKETRISTON.COM

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com