DCI investigating group that recruited spoiler candidates, Zach Nunn says at fundraiser

CLIVE — U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn said Saturday that the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating complaints against a shadowy group of operatives that recruited candidates to run in Iowa’s highly competitive congressional districts.

As Iowa and national Republicans rallied voters at the Horizon Events Center in Clive to re-elect the first-term congressman representing Iowa’s 3rd District, Nunn again raised concerns about the Associated Press’ report on the Patriots Run Project. The AP found the group worked in at least six congressional races — two in Iowa — to recruit independent spoiler candidates to divert votes from Republicans.

Joe Wiederien, a fervent supporter of former President Donald Trump from Scranton, said operatives with the group worked to get him on the ballot for the 3rd District seat. He withdrew his name from the ballot.

“When you try and steal an election by taking advantage of guys like Joe or any Iowans in this room, I don’t care what your party, we fight back,” Nunn said.

Little is known about the true identities of the operatives behind the effort, prompting Americans for Public Trust, a nonprofit conservative government watchdog organization, to file a complaint with the Federal Election Commission. The complaint alleged that the Patriots Run Project violated campaign finance law by failing to register as a political committee and file disclosure reports. The nonprofit called for an investigation into the group and the people behind it.

Wiederien told the Des Moines Register at the event Saturday that DCI officials have interviewed him and he’s provided authorities with more information about his contact with the operatives.

“I think it’s getting down to the bottom of it,” Wiederien said.

The revelation that an investigation is underway topped off Nunn’s remarks focused on the need to keep spending down, cut taxes and secure the southern border amid a record influx of migrants.

Nunn is seeking a second term in office after he flipped the seat from Democratic control in a close 2022 race that was decided by about 2,000 votes. The 3rd District covers 21 counties in south central Iowa, including the Des Moines metro area, Winterset, Osceola and Ottumwa.

“The stakes in November could not be higher,” Nunn said. “We are but a handful of votes in Congress away from losing control of our economy, the border and our future. It’s important that we win the Senate and we have the opportunity to win the White House. We never forget about the people’s house. You are at the crossroads right now of making sure this happens.”

U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, the Marion Republican representing Iowa’s northeastern 2nd District, said “the left is so intimidated by Zach,” referring to the Patriots Run Project’s ploy.

“They will stop at nothing,” Hinson said. “They will literally stop at nothing to try to take back power. We have a shared vision, and our vision is to return power to you.”

Competition close in race for Iowa’s 3rd District congressional seat

Nunn and other speakers touted his military record at the second annual “Operation Top Nunn: Salute to the Troops” fundraiser.

Nunn last year was promoted to colonel in the U.S. Air Force, four ranks from general. He served almost two decades as an airborne intelligence officer, according to his U.S. House website. He flew recon missions off the coast of China and Russia. After 9/11, Nunn was deployed to the Middle East three times.

His opponent, Democrat Lanon Baccam, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture official, also has highlighted his military background on the campaign trail. Baccam was a combat engineer in the Iowa National Guard from 1998 to 2006, where he earned the rank of corporal. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2004.

A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll conducted earlier this month found that more likely Iowa voters favor a Republican candidate over a Democrat in three of the state’s four congressional districts. Southeast Iowa’s 1st District was the only area where likely voters preferred a Democrat.

In the 3rd District, the Iowa Poll found 52% of likely voters prefer a Republican, while 44% favor a Democrat. Four percent say they are not sure.

Republicans currently hold all four congressional seats, but Democrats and Republicans are heavily targeting Iowa’s 1st and 3rd District races as the parties wrestle for control of Congress. Cook Political Report has rated the two races as “lean Republican,” but political forecasters with Inside Elections have most recently rated the contests as a “toss up.”

U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who is looking to stave off competition from Democrat Christina Bohannan in the 1st District, told the crowd that Nunn is “the fighter you want in Congress.”

“The Democrats are pouring money into Zach’s race, my race, and they’re recruiting people from anywhere to run against us,” Miller-Meeks said. “Why? Because they think they can lie and buy their way into Congress and the White House.”

The Baccam and Bohannan campaigns have said they were not involved in and had no knowledge of the Patriots Run Project’s candidate recruitment efforts.

Abortion could be major issue in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in a statement Friday said the Inside Elections ratings switch signaled Baccam is gaining momentum as women voters “are learning more about Nunn’s anti-abortion record.” Baccam is running ads criticizing Nunn’s response in a 2022 Republican primary debate when he raised his hand after being asked if he believed all abortions should be illegal, with no exceptions. 

Nunn has said this year that he does not support a federal abortion ban and believes states should decide abortion policy. 

As a state legislator in 2018, Nunn voted for a six-week abortion ban, dubbed the “fetal heartbeat” law that prohibits most abortions after cardiac activity is detectable, which can occur as early as six weeks of gestation.

The 2018 law is similar to the ban that took effect in July, which Iowa lawmakers passed in 2023 when Nunn was in Congress. Both versions, including the one Nunn supported, make exceptions for cases of rape, incest and when the procedure was necessary to save the pregnant person’s life.

Republicans emphasize need to secure border, slash federal spending

U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, a U.S. Air Force veteran, asked members of the crowd if they wanted to see Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, elected president.

“No,” the crowd of about 350 responded.

Pfluger called on the crowd to nudge their friends and neighbors to vote for Nunn, a “battle-tested” servant who he said understands family values and put his life on the line to defend the country. With 38 days until the election, Pfluger said voters had to keep Nunn in Congress.

“It’s going to be less than 10,000 votes that separates us from having the majority in the House of Representatives or going back to (former House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi or (House Minority Leader) Hakeem Jeffries,” Pfluger said. “… Just 10,000 votes. You’re at the epicenter.”

Pfluger condemned “border czar Kamala Harris” for the high number of undocumented immigrants crossing the U.S-Mexico border and said border policies have “ravaged” states like Texas. Republicans have seized on Harris being asked by President Joe Biden to explore the root causes of migration from Central America. Despite the moniker, he did not task Harris with overseeing border security.

Nunn told reporters after the event that supported a Republican-backed border bill that passed the House last year but wasn’t taken up in the Senate. He has complained that the Senate didn’t vote on its own bipartisan border deal. Senate Republicans blocked the bill after Trump urged them to reject it.

Families are feeling the pinch of “Biden inflation,” raising the cost of necessities such as groceries and housing, Nunn told the crowd. He warned of what would happen if Democrats controlled tax policy as cuts enacted in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are slated to expire.

“We’ve had the opportunity to have that American dream by making sure that your tax dollars are given back to you,” Nunn said.

Democrats hit Iowa’s GOP congressional delegation for campaigning without a new farm bill

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart in a statement lambasted the state’s GOP congressional delegation for campaigning instead of focusing on negotiations for a new farm bill. The important five-year legislation expired in 2023 and was extended through this month. It’s slated to expire Monday, though funds will largely last through the end of the year.

The farm bill authorizes financial and infrastructure support for farmers and rural areas. It outlines terms for the federal government’s nutritional efforts such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and authorizes crop insurance.

Negotiations stalled as the parties disagreed over scaling back spending on nutritional programs and funding more subsidies to large commercial growers.

“Our legislators should be more concerned about supporting production agriculture, promoting soil conservation and feeding hungry kids than they are about going home to campaign,” Hart said in a statement. “This has been the most do-nothing Congress in history and it’s time to send new leaders to Congress who will harvest a bipartisan farm bill for the benefit of the Iowans they serve.”

Nunn told reporters after the event that he had asked for the farm bill to come for a vote before leaving town, but saw opportunity to advance negotiations in the lame-duck session.

“We all know it takes two parties to tango on this, and the reality is the Senate hasn’t even so much as drawn down on a napkin” what its plans will be, Nunn said.

Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @marissajpayne.