An organization under investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation received financial backing from a group of Democratic donors, according to The Associated Press.
Patriots Run Project, a group that an AP investigation found is backed by Democratic firms, has recruited conservatives to run against Republicans in competitive House and Senate races. The AP concluded that the recruits, most of whom were retired or disabled, are likely intended to serve as spoiler candidates to worsen the GOP’s odds of retaining the House and flipping the Senate in November.
“Whether it’s congressional or presidential races, this kind of activity is a real problem and it undermines the functioning of democracy,” Ohio State University law professor Edward Foley told the AP.
David Steinglass, a retired private equity fund manager, and his wife, Liz, for instance, have given more than $5 million to Democratic-aligned political committees, according to the AP. The duo, however, contributed to the campaign of Thomas Leager, a self-described “America First” candidate and gun rights advocate who is running for Senate in Wisconsin.
Leager was also one of unindicted co-conspirators in a 2020 plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the AP reported.
Patriots Run Project collected $20,000 from Democratic donors like Steinglass and his wife to gather signatures on behalf of Leager, paying the cash out to a Democratic-aligned firm, according to the AP. Leager ultimately qualified to appear on November’s ballot alongside Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Republican challenger Eric Hovde in one of the closest-watched races of the election cycle.
Other Democratic donors supporting Leager included venture capitalist Richard Thompson and political consultant Joe Fox, who has a history of working for Democratic campaigns and PACs, according to the AP.
The Patriots Run Project also recruited candidates in Iowa, Nebraska, Montana, Virginia and Minnesota, the AP reported. Joe Wiederien, a candidate the group tapped to run against GOP Rep. Zach Nunn in Iowa who is impaired after suffering a stroke, suspected that he may have been tricked and removed his name from the ballot.
Wiederien spoke with an Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation agent in September and filed an election fraud complaint, according to the AP. The state has since opened an investigation, according to the Des Moines Register.
“When you try and steal an election by taking advantage of guys like Joe or any Iowans in this room, I don’t care what your party, we fight back,” Nunn said, according to the Register. “We are but a handful of votes in Congress away from losing control of our economy, the border and our future. It’s important that we win the Senate and we have the opportunity to win the White House. We never forget about the people’s house. You are at the crossroads right now of making sure this happens.”
Patriots Run Project, Steinglass, Leager, Thompson, Fox and Wiederien could not be reached for comment.
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