“In addition to voters in Raleigh and Charlotte, in the fall North Carolinians in the Greensboro area need to learn how Dan Forest is out for himself, not North Carolina families.”
Dan Forest Puts Politics Ahead Of North Carolina Families
COVID-19
Charlotte Observer Editorial Board: A COVID-19 order just for NC Lt. Gov. Dan Forest: Hush (Charlotte Observer, 3/18/20)
News & Observer Editorial Board: Dan Forest does North Carolina a favor with his embarrassing COVID-19 stunt. (News & Observer Editorial, 6/26/20)
- “He’s tried the shock-and-awful route, claiming at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis that the governor lacked the authority to order bars to close and restaurants to shut down their dining rooms – and saying that such orders were a bad idea. Inexplicably, Forest is still trailing.” (News & Observer Editorial, 6/26/20)
- “Notably, no one else in the Council of State, which includes several Republicans, has joined or even rallied behind the lieutenant governor in his lawsuit. It’s a 60- yard Hail Mary with a 30-yard arm.” (News & Observer Editorial, 6/26/20)
PolitiFact: Forest’s statement that masks “do not work” ignores recent studies — and federal healthcare guidance. “Is it true that studies “all said” that masks “do not work on viruses?” Forest’s statement that they “do not work” ignores recent studies — and federal healthcare guidance — showing that mask-wearing does reduce the spread of coronavirus.” (WRAL, 7/8/20)
Medicaid Expansion
Over 500,000 North Carolinians would gain health coverage under Medicaid expansion. “A study by the George Washington University, the Cone Health Foundation and the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust estimated that 634,000 more people would gain Medicaid coverage by 2022 if North Carolina expanded Medicaid in November 2019.” (News & Observer, 7/11/19)
Forest: “I’m not a fan of Medicaid expansion.” “Not one that’s in the government’s hands, obviously. I mean, try to find anything that the government runs that it really does efficiently, so healthcare is, you know, such a huge part of our economy that we’ve got to turn this thing around. We’ve gotta do it the right way. In North Carolina, you know obviously, there’s kind of a a push, that, you know, people are talking about that, but we’re still in charge of the legislature there, they’re not interested in that. I know our, our new governor is going to be pushing Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. […] That interests a lot of people, you know, we need to make sure that we’re doing the best we can to take care of the poor in, in our state. But you know, first of all, I don’t believe that Medicaid is good healthcare. It’s really poor health care for poor people. We should be ashamed of ourselves that we’re just making ourselves feel good by giving people poor healthcare. So, I’m not a fan of Medicaid expansion. I’m a fan of doing it our way do it, kind of doing it the North Carolina way.” [Daily Signal, Interview, 4:33-5:41, 2/19/19]
In 2013, Forest praised North Carolina’s decision not to set up a state-based health care exchange or expand Medicaid. The News & Observer reported, “Forest praised what he called the building blocks of the conservative changes happening in North Carolina. He also praised what he called ‘the most aggressive tax reform plan in the United States’; the state’s decision not to set up a health care exchange or expand Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act; and the laws that cut unemployment insurance benefits and state regulations. He credited conservatives with the state’s transformation from having one of the highest unemployment rates to now having the ‘fifth fastest growing economy in America.’” [News & Observer, 3/29/14]
Dan Forest Puts Donors Ahead Of North Carolina Families
Forest claimed he is “friends” with indicted megadonor Greg Lindberg, his associates, and NCGOP Chairman Robin Hayes and referred to the four men as “good guys.” “Forest told reporters as he headed into an state Senate session Tuesday that he is friends with the people indicted, calling them “good guys.” He said neither Lindberg nor his associates ever asked him for anything in return for campaign donations.” (WRAL, 4/2/19)
Greg Lindberg is Dan Forest’s largest donor and has given more than $2 million to committees supporting him. “Lindberg is also Lt. Gov. Dan Forest’s largest donor, having given more than $2 million to political committees supporting him.” (WRAL, 4/2/19)
In March 2020, Lindberg was found guilty of public corruption for attempting to bribe NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey. “For the jury ruling on Greg Lindberg’s fate, the tale was in the tape. Lindberg, a Durham billionaire who became one of North Carolina’s largest political donors, was convicted Thursday of using the promise of millions in campaign money to bribe North Carolina’s insurance commissioner Mike Causey. Following about 12 hours of deliberations spread over three days, the federal jury also found Lindberg associate John Gray guilty on two public corruption charges. Associate John Palermo was found not guilty of both.” (Charlotte Observer, 3/5/20)