Nevada GOP chair's Alpha PAC received a $100,000 donation from a group tied to a fellow fake elector, the Indy reports

What happened

The Nevada Independent reported that The Alpha PAC, a political action committee that lists Nevada Republican Party Chair Michael McDonald as an officer, received a $100,000 contribution last month. The outlet said it was the largest single gift the PAC has ever received, more than a quarter of everything it has raised since launching in 2015, and its first donation in more than three years.

Where the money came from

A new PAC funded by one donor

The donation came from Fighting For Nevada PAC, a group founded in August. Its registered agent is Jesse Law, a former Clark County Republican Party chair. The Nevada Independent noted that Law and McDonald were among the six so-called "fake electors" who tried to overturn Nevada's 2020 election result.

Fighting For Nevada's campaign finance report shows it was fully funded by Joshua Walters, according to the outlet. Walters is a billionaire who briefly ran for the 3rd Congressional District last year as a "Trump Republican." The group's listed address matches that of a company run by Republican consultant Rory McShane, who works on David Flippo's campaign in the 2nd Congressional District.

Money flowing back

The Alpha PAC reported paying $12,000 to Ops Communications, which shares an address with the apartment where Law is registered to vote, the Indy reported. That means a group run by Law gave $100,000 to the PAC, which then paid $12,000 to an entity at what appears to be Law's home address. Ops Communications is not listed as a registered business with the Nevada Secretary of State's Office, and a spokesperson did not immediately answer whether that breaks campaign finance rules.

Law, McDonald and Walters did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and McShane declined to comment, according to the outlet.

How the PAC has spent its money

A Nevada Independent analysis found that about 40 percent of the PAC's roughly $200,000 in historical spending went to "consulting" paid to groups tied to Law and McDonald, or directly to Law and George Harris. Harris is a longtime Clark County Republican Party official and current state Senate candidate who did not respond to a request for comment.

The PAC's website lists goals including "securing the integrity and fairness of the electoral process." But the outlet found only about 6 percent of all-time spending was categorized as going to a candidate, group or initiative, while 57 percent went to travel and office costs. Separately, the PAC spent $3,000 in 2021 at a Las Vegas spa that focuses on skin care services, the Indy reported.

Earlier scrutiny

The PAC has drawn questions before. In a 2016 letter on state party letterhead inviting people to a fundraiser for Donald Trump, Harris asked for donations to be sent to The Alpha PAC. He later called it a "mistake," the Indy reported.

Other campaign developments

Flippo's discharge papers

The Nevada Independent said it obtained a full copy of Flippo's DD-214 discharge form after his campaign had shared only portions. The document shows he was honorably discharged and received the Bronze Star without the valor device, along with an outstanding unit award with a valor device, which his campaign has cited as the source of confusion. The form lists 10 years of foreign service out of the 24 years he spent in the service and does not address his 2008 firing as squadron commander.

Late national spending

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will run coordinated ads in the 2nd District for former Assm. Teresa Benitez-Thompson during the final week, per AdImpact, the outlet reported. It is also running an ad in the 1st District attacking state Sen. Carrie Buck, who is challenging Rep. Dina Titus, plus ads aimed at Asian American voters in the 3rd District and Black voters in all three Las Vegas-area Democratic-held districts. More on these races is on our elections page.

Fraud charge and a look-alike flyer

After the U.S. Attorney's Office charged a Nevada resident with illegally voting in the 2024 election, Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar said his office fulfilled its "legal obligations to the DOJ." Separately, the Indy said a flyer in Assembly District 9 citing a "Nevada Independent Voter Coalition" is not from the newsroom. It is paid for by Republican nominee Erica Neely's campaign, and the coalition is not a registered PAC.

What to watch next

• Whether the Nevada Secretary of State's Office says Ops Communications' unregistered status raises campaign finance concerns.
• Congressional candidates' continued reports of contributions of $1,000 or more ahead of Election Day.
• DCCC coordinated ads for Benitez-Thompson in the 2nd Congressional District during the final week of the election.