Mysterious super PAC backs Libertarians, undercuts GOP in tough races

GOP operatives are deeply suspicious that a mysterious new super PAC is working to sabotage Republicans in close House and Senate races by endorsing libertarian candidates.

Save Western Culture PAC, which appears to be targeting Maryland and Texas Senate races and at least a dozen equally close House contests, registered with the Federal Election Commission on 11 Oct.

Its late FEC registration means no public information is available about its donors — and most likely won’t be until the Nov. 5 election, raising further suspicions, including whether it could be a vote-sucking effort from GOP candidates. Details of its spending are also limited.

“Every election cycle, national Democrats created dark-money groups designed to confuse voters and support third-party candidates who have no chance of winning,” National Republican Senatorial Committee communications director Mike Berg told The Post.

“This appears to be more of the same and voters should reject this dishonest tactic.”

The Post attempted to call Save Western Culture PAC’s listed treasurer, Seth Martin, but the number on the FEC file was no longer in use. Additionally, The Post contacted the group’s registered email address, which had the username “Libertyordeath2024,” but did not receive a response.

FEC filings show that Save Western Culture has relied on Apex Growth Strategies, Zenith Strategy and Precision Ads 360 for its various advertising and flyer campaigns. Several attempts by the Post to reach representatives from each of these companies were unsuccessful.

Based on the limited data available, the fledgling super PAC appears to have shelled out about $1 million so far.

Targeted House races are Arizona District 6, Colorado District 8, Iowa Districts 1 and 3, Michigan District 7, Montana District 1, North Carolina District 1, New York District 17 and 19, Oregon District 5, Pennsylvania District 8 and Virginia District 2.

Almost all of them are ranked twos-ups of The Cook Political Report’s electoral handicaps.

Given that control of the House of Representatives is widely seen as anyone’s game, the allegedly shady super PAC’s gambit could very well tip the scale of power in the lower chamber.

Limited FEC disclosures show the PAC’s spending on candidates it has “endorsed or opposed,” without specifying whether the spending was intended to help or hurt that aspirant.

In some cases, the PAC is fielding Republican candidates, while in others it has listed libertarian hopefuls.

But so far, there is no evidence that the PAC has spent money to help Republican candidates in any way.

In Maryland, where former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) faces an uphill battle to flip the open Senate seat there red, Save Western Culture PAC has been pushing fliers promoting its libertarian foe, Mike Scott, who often rips into both parties.

Some of the emails have touted Scott’s conservative views and claimed he would support pardoning former President Donald Trump, though it’s not entirely clear he would.

“We need a senator who will uphold our conservative values,” reads an email from Save Western Culture, which supports Scott.

Scott told The Post that he “knows nothing about” the Save Western Culture PAC.

“They could be friends who want to see me prosper and take votes away from Mr. Hogan. They could link me to Mr. Trump to deter Democrats who want an alternative to Ms. Alsobrooks,” he said.

“I’m the moderate in this race.”

While Scott has espoused some conservative positions, he has also been highly critical of Trump, calling him a “authoritarian statistician.” Scott has too repeatedly described the Israel-Hamas war as “genocide”.

Hogan is perhaps the most prominent Republican critic of Trump running this cycle. He’s also been the GOP’s best chance to flip a Maryland Senate seat in decades.

“Lying to voters while asking for their trust is a slap in the face to our most sacred democratic processes,” Hogan campaign spokeswoman Blake Kernen said of the Save Western Culture PAC.

“We hope this close election is decided by the issues that matter most to Marylanders — not a smear campaign based on lies that resorts to the tacky political game that everyone hates.”

Some campaigns have yet to feel too much of an impact from Save Western Culture PAC’s efforts, but there are growing concerns about it.

In Michigan District 7, where the PAC appears to be targeting Republican Tom Barrett, allies of the former state senator say they are watching.

“We are very concerned. They started spending last week and are clearly trying to support the Libertarian candidate to get vote share from Tom Barrett,” a strategist aligned with Barrett told The Post.

In North Carolina’s 1st District, PAC-funded fliers praised Libertarian hopeful Tom Bailey and cast Republican Laurie Buckhout as a “RINO” — or “Republican In Name Only.”

“In November, vote for Tom Bailey because RINO Laurie Buckhout is not one of us,” one flier read.

She is locked in a tough campaign against incumbent Rep. Don Davis (D-NC).

The Democrats’ History of the Spoiler Strategy

There is a somewhat extensive history of left-wing groups launching subversive campaigns aimed at promoting third-party candidates to draw votes away from Republicans. At times, leftist groups have interfered in primaries and sought to elevate more extreme candidates to weaken the GOP in a general election.

In 2020, for example, Republicans cried foul when the Really American PAC began spending on billboards attacking GOP Senate hopefuls from the right.

At the time, it was clear that the funding came from liberal sources such as the Democrats’ ActBlue fundraising platform.

“Perdue/Loeffler didn’t deliver for Trump, don’t live for them,” read a billboard referencing Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in Georgia that year.

After the pair’s subsequent defeat, and with it the Democratic takeover of the Senate, some GOP operatives blamed the losses in part on such antics.

In this election cycle, there have also been concerns about donor David Steinglass, a longtime supporter of Democrats and transgender rights, opens his box to very conservative independent candidates in key races.