Down Ballot Money Pt. 2

By Gordon HopkinsDanielle Schwab, candidate for Jefferson County Commissioner, District 2, posted this question on her campaign Facebook page shortly before her victory over incumbent Gale Pohlmann in the recent primary election, “Hmmm…Who would have the financial incentive to pay $5,250 to a political action committee in Austin, Texas to hire a campaign firm in Oklahoma City to run negative ads against me, a local housewife and mother trying to better our community?”A great many people have asked that same question since citizens of Jefferson County began receiving postcards in the mail, casting doubts on Schwab’s qualifications due to her, “…lack of experience in local government and her troubling statements concerning private property rights.”Those mailers were sent by R.E.D.PAC (Rural Economic Development Political Action Committee), a Texas-based PAC (Political Action Committee).In Gage County, mailers from R.E.D.PAC also targeted the incumbent candidate for Supervisor, District 2, Emily Haxby.“The outside dark-money PACs will be attacking me more, right through Election Day. The Austin, Texas based PAC behind the attacks will spend more than both me and my opponent combined,” Haxby wrote on her Facebook page. “These people will stop at nothing and lie about anything. You have to ask yourself why these out of state groups are spending thousands of dollars on a Gage County Supervisor race.”Campaign finance laws require PACs to report certain financial information and that information be made available to the public. As a result, some questions about where money came from and how it was spend can be answered.How Much Money Did RED PAC Spend in Nebraska?R.E.D.PAC was first created on March 24, 2023. That was the date the committee’s Statement of Organization was filed with the FEC (Federal Elections Commission).The NADC requires that independent expenditures over $250 be reported, using NADC form B-6.According to those reports, R.E.D.PAC has spent a total of $27,767.50 in independent expenditures in 2024 in the state, either supporting or opposing Nebraska down ballot candidates. Those expenditures were paid to Direct Wins, LLC, a marketing firm in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that provides direct mail services for campaigns and political causes. Some of that marketing was to support candidates, other focused on opposing candidates. Jefferson County, District 2: RED PAC spent $5,250 to oppose Danielle Schwab; $4,400 for direct mail (postcards) and $850 for digital ads. Gage County, District 2: RED PAC spent $5,250 to oppose Emily Haxby; $4,400 for direct mail and $850 for digital ads. York County, District 2: RED PAC spent $9,018.50 to support Leroy Ott; $6,268.50 for direct mail, $2,000 for digital ads and $750 for text messaging. York County, District 5: RED PAC spent $8,249 to support Dean Heine; $5,499.00 for direct mail, $2,000 for digital ads and $750 for text messaging. Where Else Does RED PAC Spend Its Money?Nebraska is not the only state where RED PAC has endorsed candidates. As in Nebraska, those are mostly down ballot candidates, like county commissioners. In 2024, RED PAC endorsed 35 candidates in Indiana, Georgia and Iowa.REC PAC was also active in 2023. According to a headline in News & Record, a newspaper in Halifax County, Virginia, “Texas PAC drops $25,000 on Halifax board contests.”That story, published November 2, 2023, reported, “In campaign spending reports submitted to the Virginia Board of Elections and shared with the Halifax County Voter Registrar’s office, R.E.D. PAC lists expenditures of $12,500 on behalf of each candidate in Halifax, with the money going toward direct mail pieces, digital advertising and text messaging to drive voters to the polls.”Where Does RED PAC Get Its Money?The Federal Election Commissioners lists a single source of funding for RED PAC: Conservatives for a Clean Energy Future (CCEF), which was created in 2018. The organization is a 501(c)(4), which is different from a 501(c)(3) in that it may endorse candidates and contribute to campaigns.According to the IRS, “a 501(c)(4)’s donor disclosure list is redacted by the IRS and therefore is not made public by the federal government, giving the donor the option for more privacy when compared to a 501(c)(3) private foundation, which is required to publicly disclose certain donors on its annual federal tax return.” While largely considered a partisan issue, there is a faction of conservatives that support green energy, such as wind and solar, both for environmental reasons and for the potential money to be made.According to the organization’s website, “CCEF works with policymakers and stakeholders across the nation to promote policies that secure affordable, reliable, and increasingly efficient and renewable energy. Commonsense, market-driven clean energy policies will create local jobs, spark innovation and investment, and lower electric rates for all.”In less than one year, from April 19, 2023, which is the date of the first payment recorded by the FEC, until March 27, 2024, which is the most recent payment, CCEF contributed $920,833 to RED PAC.Since its creation, RED PAC has paid out $915,373.30 of those funds in disbursements. The FEC listed $30,247.31 in payments for operating expenses, including $10,100 to Strategic Political Management, LLC, a political affairs firm headquartered in Dallas Texas, for website hosting. Of the remaining $885,125.99 in disbursements, nearly a third, $299,087.64 was also paid to Strategic Political Management, LLC. The president of Strategic Political Management, LLC, is political consultant Charles John Kolean, called Charlie Kolean on the company’s website and in most news stories about him. Kolean is also the chief strategist for RED PAC. Who is Charlie Kolean?Kolean is a member of the American Association of Political Consultants and has been involved with conservative political campaigns for many years.According to the employment history in an IAPD (Investment Adviser Public Disclosure) report on file with the SEC (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission), Kolean’s first listed job was as a field representative for Republican Terri Lynn Land’s campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2014. Lynn ran unopposed in the primary and was defeated by Democratic congressman Gary Peters in the general election.Kolean has been involved with other PACs. In 2020, Kolean was a bundler on the Trump Finance Victory Committee. A bundler organizes and collects campaign contributions from donors.In 2023, a short-lived PAC that called on former Fox News host Tucker Carlson to run for president was created. The Statement of Organization for the Draft Tucker PAC was filed with the FEC on April 28, 2023. However, in May of 2023, Tucker Carlson sent the PAC a Cease and Desist letter. Carlson’s lawyer, Harmeet Dhillon, wrote, “It has come to Mr. Carlson’s attention that you are soliciting contributions and donor contact information from the public by representing that the funds will be used to draft Mr. Tucker to run for President in 2024.”FEC filings indicated the PAC received $54,200 in funds; $35,000 from former 2020 candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, Christopher Ekstrom, and $19,200 from Strategic Political Management for “offsets to operating expenditures.” Kolean was the PAC’s executive director and in a statement, said, “Tucker’s attorney has contacted us to let us know that Tucker is not a candidate for president nor has any intentions of running and asked us to cease all activities on his behalf. We are going to honor that request.”Draft Tucker PAC ceased operations and, according to the FEC, all that money has since been disbursed, including $34,589.25 to Strategic Political Management, for television advertising. Social media management and consulting.FJN reached out to both R.E.D.PAC and Kolean for comment on this story. As of press time, neither has responded.

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