“Tiger King” star Carole Baskin gave more than $31,000 in campaign contributions to members of Congress and other lawmakers on both sides of the aisle last year, according to records from the Federal Election Commission.
The Big Cat Rescue CEO gave approximately $31,325 in increments ranging from $100 to $2,8000 to support 25 different politicians between February and December of 2021 — with most of her donations going to Republicans.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) received $5,800 from Baskin, the most of any individual lawmaker. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) was next on the most-funded list, receiving $2,900. She was closely followed by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who took in $2,500.
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) received an even $2,000 from Baskin, while Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) each got $1,500 from Carole’s coffers.
Lawmakers whose campaign organizations received $1,000 donations from Baskin include Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.), Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).
Baskin came to national prominence in 2020 when she was featured in the Netflix documentary, which largely focused on her tiger-centered feud with Oklahoma private zoo owner Joe Exotic.
In the show, Exotic accused Baskin of killing her husband and feeding him to tigers at her Tampa sanctuary.
Baskin has denied the accusations, and even slammed the series producers for appearing to imply she had a role in her husband’s disappearance.
“It [‘Tiger King’] has a segment devoted to suggesting, with lies and innuendos from people who are not credible, that I had a role in the disappearance of my husband Don in 1997,” she said in 2020.
Baskin continued to deny the claim just last month, while dancing in a TikTok video to a song that claimed she did kill her husband.
In the video, Baskin is seen laughing and jokingly trying to cut the music as the lyrics say: “Carole Baskin/killed her husband/whacked him.”
“No, I didn’t!” Baskin mouths, as the song continues to play.
Last year was Baskin’s most generous in terms of donations to congressional campaigns. In 2020, she only gave $1,000 each to Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Cory Booker (D-NJ). The previous year, Baskin donated the same amount to Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) as well as $2,000 to Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).
