SD 11 Hopeful Plays with Fire
with Covid Cure Claimer Cash
Capitol Inside
January 19, 2022
Dickinson physician Robin Armstrong could have decided that his history could be a liability in a bid for public office as a longtime GOP activist who served state party's vice-chairman more than a dozen years ago when the business establishment was in control.
A staunch conservative by old-school standards, Armstrong appeared to take a sharp turn to the right in the spring of 2020 as one of the few Texas doctors who treated COVID-19 patients with a controversial drug that Donald Trump started touting. Armstrong used the publicity that he garnered as the stage for a campaign this year for the Texas Senate in an open race on the Gulf Coast near Houston.
Armstrong, who's Black, sought to seal his newfound status on the far-right this week when he reported a $5,000 contribution from Trump's unofficial advisor on the pandemic during his final year as president. Armstrong's first campaign money statement showed almost $92,000 in donations from supporters including a substantial number who are identified as medical doctors. The ex-state party official topped it off with more than $34,000 in personal loans to his campaign for the Senate District 11 seat in the primary election on March 1.
State Rep. Mayes Middleton of Galveston contributed $1.6 million to his own SD 11 campaign in December after vowing to spend $5 million or more on the race if that's what it takes to win. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick paved the way for Middleton's last-minute shift from a re-election race to a Senate bid when he abandoned his support for GOP State Senator Larry Taylor of Friendswood.
Pasadena activist Bianca Gracia, the leader of a group of pro-Trump Hispanics, received $29,000 from donors as a longshot in the primary fight for SD 11. A fourth contender - Galveston developer Bob Mitchell - reported a $100 contribution from himself with an identical amount on cash on hand on the final day of December. But Mitchell may have been the day's biggest winner in the GOP scramble in SD 11 with endorsements from eight mayors in cities across the district and the mayor pro-tem in Houston.
Armstrong's identification of Immanuel as a major donor could be a high-stakes gamble with the potential to expand his appeal among the far right exponentially if it doesn't backfire.
Immanuel has been radioactive since her emergence in the public arena since a speech on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court in the summer of 2020. With Trump and his family sharing videos of the Texas doctor's appearance, Immanuel made a series of claims that were false.
"This virus has a cure," Immanuel declared. "It is called hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and Zithromax. I know you people want to talk about a mask. Hello? You don’t need a mask. There is a cure."
Immanuel said that she'd treated hundreds of covid patients with hydroxychloroquine - a medication that's made to combat malaria and arthritis - and had excellent results in spite of research that found no evidence of effectiveness against the coronavirus at the time.
Immanuel's stock soared in the Trump base when she dropped the gauntlet after Facebook and Twitter deleted posts she made as misinformation on covid that could be dangerous.
“Hello Facebook put back my profile page and videos up or your computers with start crashing till you do,” Immanuel warned in a tweet. “You are not bigger that God. I promise you. If my page is not back up face book will be down in Jesus name.”
The Texas Medical Board appeared to have Immanuel and possibly Armstrong to a lesser degree in mind when it sent a generic warning to health care professionals promoting unsubstantiated covid cures.
Armstrong's campaign lists Immanuel's employer as the Rehoboth Medical Center in the finance report that shows her as a resident of Katy. Rehoboth - ironically perhaps - vigorously promotes the vaccine in all three major brands with walk-in appointments.
But Texas Ethics Commission records show that Immanuel had made only one contribution on the state level until now - giving $100 to Governor Greg Abbott in 2017.
Immanuel describes herself on Facebook as "Physician, Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Deliverance Minister, God's battle axe and weapon of war |
