About
Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is the senior senator from South Carolina, having served in the U.S. Senate since 2003. An attorney prior to running for office, he served as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2019–21. Earlier in his career, he was a judge advocate general in the U.S. Air Force from 1982–88.
In September 2022, Graham caused something of a stir—especially among fellow Republicans—by introducing a federal bill to ban abortions after 15 weeks. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade earlier in the year, any further discussion of abortion is a topic most GOP politicians would prefer to avoid going into the fall midterm elections.
Initially a vocal critic of Trump, Graham became an avid supporter after meeting with the then-president in March 2017. After the 2020 presidential election, the senator followed Trump’s lead and adhered to the GOP playbook by casting doubt on the legitimacy of the outcome. He also voted against impeaching Trump for inciting the mob that attacked the Capitol.
January 6, 2021
- Graham ultimately voted to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 election win, but did so only reluctantly, saying, “I hate it.”
- He voted “not guilty” in Trump’s impeachment trial for inciting the insurrection, and voted against creating a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
The Big Lie
- Graham loudly supported Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, appearing on Fox News to amplify the message that “President Trump should not concede.”
- In the wake of the election, Graham was accused of making multiple phone calls to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff asking them to reexamine absentee ballots “to explore the possibility of a more favorable outcome” in the state for Trump. When a Fulton County, Georgia grand jury subpoenaed the senator as part of their investigation into possible wrong-doing, a federal judge denied his request to quash the subpoena.
- Graham donated $500,000 to support Trump’s legal challenges to the election.
- He also endorsed the illegal idea that state legislators could select electors who would vote for Trump rather than in accordance with the state’s popular vote.
- Graham supported investigating election fraud after hearing a postal worker’s allegations, even though the affidavit the man signed had been written by Project Veritas, the far-right gotcha organization.
- Graham asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to disqualify all mail-in ballots in counties with a number of signature errors.
Top contributors for the 2024 election cycle.
The organizations themselves did not donate, rather the money came from the organization's PAC, its individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals' immediate families.
| Organization Name | Total | PACs | Individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republican Jewish Coalition | $103,794.00 | $8,239.00 | $95,555.00 |
| Nelson, Mullins et al | $71,813.00 | $20,000.00 | $51,813.00 |
| US Dept of Defense | $50,621.00 | $0.00 | $50,621.00 |
| US Government | $46,395.00 | $0.00 | $46,395.00 |
| Boeing Co | $45,250.00 | $9,000.00 | $36,250.00 |
| National Republican Senatorial Cmte | $44,600.00 | $44,600.00 | $0.00 |
| Delta Air Lines | $39,855.00 | $7,500.00 | $32,355.00 |
| US Army | $38,353.00 | $0.00 | $38,353.00 |
| US Air Force | $37,468.00 | $0.00 | $37,468.00 |
| Blackstone Group | $36,950.00 | $0.00 | $36,950.00 |