GOP accuses Democratic Party of misleading Trump supporters to hurt conservative candidates

A group with ties to businesses in the Democratic sphere has over the past year recruited Trump supporters to run as independents in key districts for the November congressional elections to weaken Republican candidates. According to an AP investigation, The Patriots Run Project used Facebook to recruit people close to MAGA to agree to step forward without realizing that they were benefiting the Democratic party. 

House Republican Conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik accused far-left Democrats of being behind this move "to interfere with elections" and claimed that "those responsible should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

"Far Left Democrats continue stooping to new lows to interfere with elections. Recruiting 'shadow candidates' to deceive voters and disrupt the will of the people is an assault on our democracy. This interference is ILLEGAL and the Democrats responsible must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Candidates in key swing states for control of Congress

According to the AP, the group managed to field Trump supporters in two Iowa races, plus in Nebraska, Montana, Virginia and Minnesota. The six candidates the agency was able to speak with described themselves as retired, disabled or both.

One of those affected by the presence of one of these candidates, Rep. Zach Nunn, who is up for re-election in Iowa's 3rd District in November, lashed out harshly at what he called an "attempt" by the Democratic Party to "manipulate our election."

A dream that ended up being "a dirty trick"

In his case, Joe Wiederien, a "fervid Trump supporter" who had a stroke that rendered him unable even to drive, showed up at the state Capitol with the 1,726 signatures needed to file his candidacy. Joining him was "Johnny," a Patriots Run Project operative who took over his race. After realizing he was being used, Wiederien withdrew. "At the time I was thinking, well, it would be nice to be in Congress and get to work with President Trump. It looks like it's a dirty trick now," he told AP.

The candidates were lured using Facebook, where the Patriots Run Project operated a series of pro-Trump pages with messages against politicians from both parties, inviting the former president's supporters to step up to help him get a comfortable lead in Congress.

"We need American patriots like YOU to stand up for freedom with President Trump and take back control from the globalist elites by running for office," one ad states. 

An organized apparatus to get candidates to run

Once they got a candidate, they communicated with company agents through text messages, emails and phone calls, with almost no personal contact. The Patriots Run Project also provided them with advice on filing the paperwork for the candidacy. According to the AP, on at least three occasions a Nevada firm that works closely with the Democratic consulting firm Sole Strategies distributed petition signatures in order to run for office. They also helped their contender with smear campaigns against the GOP candidate

The Democratic Party denied having any ties to the group and also denied that the House-training SuperPac had been involved.