Complaint against Bismarck lawmaker questions campaign ads, donations

BISMARCK — A Bismarck resident has called on the Federal Election Commission to investigate a state representative and two political fundraising organizations for potential violations of federal campaign laws.

The complaint, filed by Lance Hagen, accuses Rep. Brandon Prichard, R-Bismarck, of using two federal super PACs for his own financial and political gain.

Prichard has represented District 8 since 2022 and is running for reelection this year.

He’s involved with two super PACs that have raised money for conservative political causes this election cycle. Prichard serves as treasurer of the super PAC YR Victory Fund and executive director of the super PAC Citizens Alliance of North Dakota. According to FEC records, both political action committees were registered in the summer of 2023.

Emails authored by Prichard that Hagen included in his complaint indicate that Citizens Alliance of North Dakota exists to raise money for far-right conservative candidates for North Dakota state government.

“Good conservative candidates do not have the funds or resources to defeat radical Democrats,” Prichard wrote in a Jan. 10 fundraising email.

In the emails, Prichard also frequently tells voters to support certain North Dakota lawmakers and to unseat others.

Hagen said in his complaint he suspects that Prichard is using Citizens Alliance of North Dakota to help himself and his political allies and to harm his opponents.

“These emails typically advocate for various conservative beliefs, but also often contain content that either praises legislators for their ‘conservatism’ or shames other legislators for their Prichard-defined ‘liberal’ voting propensities,” Hagen wrote. “Coincidently, Representative Prichard is always found among the legislators being praised.”

Hagen noted in the complaint that, because the organizations are super PACs, also known as independent expenditure-only political committees, it is not legal for them to coordinate with political candidates.

Prichard in a Thursday text to the North Dakota Monitor said he had “not received any notice” of a complaint.

“I always follow the law, cite my sources on bills, and comply with the FEC. There is nothing we have done that is illegal or unethical,” he wrote. “I think the ‘good old boys club’ feels threatened that a North Dakota organization is finally calling out how they have sold out the people of North Dakota for their special interests.”

In his complaint, Hagen also brought attention to the approximately $120,000 donated last year by the YR Victory Fund to an out-of-state group, Citizens Alliance Political Action Committee. Records show the committee was previously based in Ohio, but recently changed its address to Virginia.

FEC filings indicate most of the YR Victory Fund’s money went to that out-of-state committee. The YR Victory Fund started with roughly $21,000 in cash on hand and raised a total of about $110,000 in donations between July and December 2023.

In a Thursday press conference in Mandan, Hagen called the donations one of his “major concerns.”

The donations were first reported in February by Forum Communications columnist Rob Port. According to Port’s reporting, several donors to the YR Victory Fund were under the impression that their contributions would go toward helping young Republicans get involved in politics.

It’s not clear from FEC records what the purpose of the out-of-state Citizens Alliance Political Action Committee is. Filings show that since July of 2023, the Citizens Alliance Political Action Committee received a significant portion of its donations — more than $350,000 — from North Dakota donors, including the YR Victory Fund.

In March, Citizens Alliance Political Action Committee gave $40,000 to the other super PAC associated with Prichard, Citizens Alliance of North Dakota, according to FEC records.

The records also show that money was transferred back and forth between the Citizens Alliance Political Action Committee and another similarly titled entity, Citizens Alliance of America, which is also based in Virginia.

Hagen’s complaint also highlights a $10,000 payment Prichard received from the YR Victory Fund in July 2023 for administrative services.

“I have not seen the YR Victory Fund’s bylaws but would like to flag this for investigation,” Hagen wrote.

Hagen said at the press conference that he mailed the complaint to the Federal Election Commission last week, and has yet to hear back from the agency.

A spokesperson for the FEC said the agency is unable to provide information regarding complaints due to confidentiality requirements. Case files are made public once a complaint is resolved and closed.

Hagen said this is the first time he’s filed a complaint with the commission, and that he “has nothing against Prichard” — he just thinks the situation warrants investigation.

“I have nothing to gain by doing this other than I think that, in North Dakota, we need to be held responsible for some of these ridiculous campaign ads that are taking place across the state,” Hagen said.

Three Republican candidates running for positions in the Legislature also raised concerns at the press conference: Rep. Pat Heinert, who seeks reelection in District 32, and Mike Berg and Ken Rensch, who are running against Prichard and incumbent SuAnn Olson in District 8.

All three said they had been negatively affected by advertisements they suspect are tied to Prichard, and that they feel are misleading or factually inaccurate. Some legislative ads picture a challenger alongside two Republican incumbents, referring to all three as the “Republican team.”

This story was originally published on NorthDakotaMonitor.com