A secretive group known as the Patriots Run Project has come under fire for allegedly violating campaign finance laws. The group, which recruited retired and disabled supporters of Donald Trump to run as third-party spoiler candidates in competitive congressional districts, was the subject of a recent complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission.
The Patriots Run Project, as revealed in a previous Associated Press article, operated discreetly by scouting conservative candidates online, assisting them in qualifying for the ballot, and investing significant resources in their campaigns. Despite its active involvement in influencing federal elections, the group is not registered as a business, political committee, or nonprofit organization.
The complaint filed by the conservative organization Americans for Public Trust alleges that the Patriots Run Project failed to register as a political committee, thereby violating campaign finance laws. This failure to disclose key information such as the group's management, funding sources, and underlying motives has raised concerns about potential election interference.
One notable detail about the Patriots Run Project is the limited information available on its website, which only lists a P.O. Box located within a UPS store in Washington, D.C. The group's recruitment of Trump supporters to run as independent candidates in crucial swing districts has sparked controversy, with implications for the upcoming congressional elections.
Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have expressed alarm over the Patriots Run Project's ties to Democrats, labeling them as concerning and potentially indicative of election interference. Several Republican incumbents targeted by the group's recruitment efforts have criticized the tactics as shady and manipulative.
In addition to Virginia, the Patriots Run Project also recruited candidates in Nebraska, Montana, Minnesota, and Iowa, with a focus on retired or disabled individuals. While the group's operations remain shrouded in mystery, evidence suggests that Democratic consulting firms played a role in supporting the recruited candidates through petition circulation and polling activities.
