A New York-based progressive think tank has asked a super PAC with multiple addresses to remove its website from an ad campaign supporting the Republican challenger in the U.S. Senate race in Rhode Island. The Roosevelt Institute, which has no affiliation with the super PAC, is taking action to stop the unauthorized use of its URL. The super PAC, Roosevelt Society Action, has committed over $25,000 in TV ads attacking the Democratic incumbent, Sheldon Whitehouse, as he seeks a fourth term. The group's origins and motives remain obscure, puzzling political observers in the solidly blue state.

Mysterious Funds and Shadowy Connections Fuel Unusual Senate Race Interference

Sudden Super PAC Presence Raises Eyebrows

The Roosevelt Institute, a progressive economic think tank, has requested that the Roosevelt Society Action super PAC remove its website from the group's ad campaign supporting Republican Patricia Morgan's challenge to Democratic U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. The institute, which has a project called the Roosevelt Society but is not affiliated with the super PAC, was unaware of the use of its URL and is taking immediate action to stop it.The Roosevelt Society Action super PAC has addresses in Wisconsin and Alabama, with an Alabama-based treasurer listed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The group has committed over $25,000 in TV ads attacking Whitehouse, who is seeking a fourth term in the Senate. This sudden interest in a U.S. Senate race in the solidly Democratic state of Rhode Island has left political observers scratching their heads.

Obscure Origins and Questionable Connections

The Roosevelt Society Action super PAC was founded in September and has already spent over $102,000 on pro-Morgan mailers and TV ads. The group's treasurer, Kayla Glaze, is an Alabama woman tied to a Washington D.C. firm, Crosby Ottenhoff Group, where she has worked as a certified public accountant since 2019. Glaze is listed as the treasurer of more than 130 political action committees across the nation, most of which support Republican causes.The super PAC's third-quarter FEC filing lists a $200,000 contribution on September 17 from an address in Hudson, Wisconsin, associated with Thomas Datwyler, a consultant who has been involved with numerous Republican candidates and political committees. Datwyler has faced allegations of wire fraud and is under investigation for alleged campaign finance violations in other states.Despite these connections, Datwyler insists he is not behind the Roosevelt Society Action super PAC, and the group's primary funder is a couple from Florida, whose identity he refused to disclose. The super PAC's sudden interest in the Rhode Island Senate race and its obscure origins have raised suspicions among political observers.

Targeting Sports Fans and Seeking to Influence Tight Races

The Roosevelt Society Action super PAC has committed $25,000 toward television ads during NFL and college football games, as well as slots during the first four games of the World Series. This strategy of targeting sports fans is unusual for a super PAC in a Senate race in a solidly Democratic state like Rhode Island.One possible explanation for the super PAC's focus on Rhode Island is that right-leaning groups may want to force Whitehouse to spend more money on his own race, rather than transferring funds to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to support tighter elections elsewhere, such as the race between Montana Democratic Senator Jon Tester and his Republican challenger, Tim Sheehy."This could be an unofficially coordinated action," said Matthew Ulricksen, an associate professor of political science at the Community College of Rhode Island. "Never underestimate the banality or drollness of rich Americans to think that they can use their money to influence something."

Mysterious Footage and Lack of Coordination

The Roosevelt Society Action ad features a montage of professionally-filmed clips of Republican challenger Patricia Morgan, including her strolling the white marble steps of the Rhode Island State House, working at her office desk, and meeting with constituents. However, the origin of this footage is unclear, as it does not appear to have been sourced from any of Morgan's social media pages or the Rhode Island House Minority Office.Morgan confirmed that the video clips are "older footage" from her time in the State House, but she was unaware of how the Roosevelt Society obtained it. FEC rules prohibit campaigns from directly coordinating with super PACs, though there is some gray area on what can be done, such as candidates uploading b-roll footage to their YouTube channels for PACs to use.The mysterious nature of the super PAC's activities and the lack of coordination with the Morgan campaign have further fueled the sense of confusion and suspicion surrounding the group's involvement in the Rhode Island Senate race.