VoteVets

Political leanings: Democratic

2024 full spending: $30 cardinal by its hybrid PAC

VoteVets is simply a governmental radical that supports veterans, and promotes Democratic policies and candidates. It operates 2 governmental committees: the VoteVets PAC and the VoteVets Action Fund.

VoteVets, the PAC, is simply a Carey committee, a hybrid organization that functions arsenic some a PAC and a ace PAC. Like a accepted PAC, the committee tin give wealth directly to a campaign. However, similar a ace PAC, it tin besides rise and walk unlimited amounts of wealth for independent expenditures, which are funds spent connected advertisements oregon different communications successful bid to elite oregon decision circumstantial candidates. For years, the PAC’s goal has been to elite veterans to office.

VoteVets Action Fund is simply a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, a “social payment organization” that indispensable walk little than 50% of its funds for governmental purposes. It does not request to disclose its donors, but it indispensable report its autarkic expenditures to the Federal Election Commission.

The co-founder of VoteVets is Jon Soltz, an Iraq War veteran. VoteVet’s treasurer is Rick Hegdahl, who besides is its nationalist seasoned organizer. 

As of Aug. 31, the VoteVets PAC reported raising astir $26 cardinal for the 2026 predetermination rhythm portion spending astir $31 million, according to its latest FEC disclosure. Major donors see Deborah Simon, girl of the precocious spot developer Melvin Simon; Lisa Mennet, a kid scientist and laminitis of the philanthropic Perigee Fund; and the Democrat-aligned ace PACs AB PAC and Project 218. 

“Overall, VoteVets plans this twelvemonth to walk $60 cardinal connected 331 Democratic candidates nationwide — 20 House and Senate candidates and 311 down-ballot races — the astir since it was founded,” the New York Times reported successful precocious September. “That makes it 1 of the astir important single-issue advocacy groups operating successful the midterm cycle, and 1 of the main groups spending the astir to enactment Democratic candidates.”

Through the extremity of August, the VoteVets PAC had spent much than $18.3 cardinal connected autarkic expenditures supporting candidates. About fractional of that was spent backing Democratic authorities Rep. Josh Turek successful the Iowa Senate race against Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson. Turek, who won Paralympic medals for the U.S. successful wheelchair basketball, was calved with spina bifida owed to his begetter being exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. He’s 1 of the VoteVets-backed candidates who aren’t veterans but whose lives have been influenced by a household member’s subject service. 

The PAC besides spent much than $1 cardinal helping Luke Bronin defeat Rep. John B. Larson successful the Democratic superior for Larson’s spot successful Connecticut’s 1st Congressional District. “We person nary contented with Larson,” Soltz told the Times. “It’s astir the information that we tin get a seasoned into Congress for the adjacent 30 years, to beryllium the president of the House Veterans Committee oregon Foreign Affairs. That’s our interest.”

During the 2024 predetermination cycle, VoteVets raised implicit $31 cardinal and spent astir $30 million, with much than $13.6 cardinal going to autarkic expenditures, including astir $2.9 million to enactment Ruben Gallego, a former Marine and an Iraq War veteran, who won the Senate contention successful Arizona.

FactCheck.org Undergraduate Fellow Justine Weng contributed to this article. 

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