Posted Jun 13, 2022, 2:57 pm
Documents obtained by OpenSecrets shed new light on the mysterious
“dark money” group Defending America Together, which has poured millions
of dollars from undisclosed donors into recent midterm elections in
Pennsylvania and Alabama.
According to a certificate of incorporation obtained by OpenSecrets, Erick Todd used a personal mailbox address in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to incorporate Defending America Together, Inc. in Lewes, Del.
Defending America Together was incorporated on Jan. 10, 2022,
as a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization formed and operated exclusively
for “the promotion of social welfare.” These groups are generally not required to disclose their donors, and their “primary” purpose is not supposed to be political activities.
Defending America Together has not publicized any social welfare
activities, but a corporation with the same name contributed $5 million
to super PACs that spent big in the Alabama and Pennsylvania primaries.
Three itemized receipts filed with the FEC list Defending America Together’s address as a post office box address at a UPS store in Phoenix, Ariz.
According to the certificate of incorporation, Defending America
Together has no members, capital stock or stockholders, but it does have
a board of directors that wields “[t]he entire voting power for all
purposes.” In Delaware, individuals can incorporate a company without
disclosing the names of members, managers or in this case, the board of
directors.
Todd listed an address in Miramar Plaza in San Juan to incorporate
Defending America Together. The document states Todd “may work remotely
from his residence in Puerto Rico,” but the nature of his work or
position within the group is unclear.
After Todd incorporated Defending America Together, Harvard Business Services Inc. became the registered agent
for the new company. Harvard Business Services has been “forming
Delaware companies for more than 40 years,” according to their website. They also tout the lowest registered agency fee in the industry, just $50.
Harvard Business Services President Michael Bell confirmed the
company is the registered agent for Defending America Together, but told
OpenSecrets he is “not aware of any of this company’s business
activities and we have no other affiliation with it other than we’re
just the registered agent in Delaware.”
Dark money spending in Alabama and Pennsylvania
Defending America Together has made three contributions totaling $5 million since January.
On Jan. 20, 10 days after Todd incorporated the group, Defending
America Together made its first contribution. The group gave $1 million
to America’s Promise, and it gave another $1 million to the super PAC on March 9. America’s Promise contributed over $3.1 million to the Alabama Patriots PAC, a different super PAC supporting Michael Durant in Tuesday’s Alabama Senate GOP primary.
Defending America Together is the top contributor to America’s Promise, which also used a UPS post office box,
this one in Arlington, Va., to register with the FEC and make
contributions. The treasurer for America’s Promise, Jacob Harriman, is
also the founder and CEO of More Perfect Union, a group that aims to elect moderate Senators
from both parties. More Perfect Union also listed the Arlington UPS
Store as its principal office address, according to the Virginia State
Corporation Commission entity registration.
Three-quarters
of the total $4.2 million disbursed by America’s Promise so far during
the 2022 election cycle went to the Alabama Patriots PAC.
Durant lost the primary, but not until the Alabama Patriots PAC
poured almost $4.3 million into media production and placement
supporting him and an additional $363,000 against Republican primary
opponents Rep. Mo Brooks (R–Ala.) and Katie Britt. Brooks and Britt will compete in a runoff on June 21.
On March 15, Defending America Together contributed $3 million to the Pennsylvania Conservative Fund, which spent $3 million opposing celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz in the contentious Pennsylvania Senate GOP primary.
Pennsylvania Conservative Fund raised $3.5 million ahead of the primary. The other $500,000 came from billionaire investor Thomas Tull.
The Senate primary race in Pennsylvania went to an automatic recount on Wednesday, with less than 1,000 votes separating Oz and former hedge fund manager Dave McCormick,
a slim margin that a few extra million dollars in media and direct mail
financed by the outside spending group may have impacted.
Defending America Together provided a post office box address at a
UPS store in Phoenix, Ariz. when it made these contributions in Alabama
and Pennsylvania. “If you’re a business owner,” explains
the UPS Store website, “having a real street address as your mailbox
can provide you with a professional image for your business.”
A representative of the UPS store listed was unable to provide the
name of the person who registered the Arizona mailbox citing U.S. Postal
regulations.
“About half or more of our box holders are business, we just sort their mail,” the store representative told OpenSecrets.
Open Secrets Editorial and Investigations Manager Anna Massoglia contributed to this report.
Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, OpenSecrets is the nation’s premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.
– 30 –
