Democrats have been accused of paying opposition research groups that allegedly lied to obtain Air Force records on almost a dozen Republican lawmakers, according to a recent report.
The Daily Caller reviewed records from the Federal Elections Commission that indicate that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee paid over $280,000 to the Due Diligence Group, an opposition research company that obtained the service records of Republican Representatives Don Bacon of Nebraska and Zach Nunn of Iowa, among others.
Last October, the Air Force initiated an investigation when the Due Diligence Group accessed the service records of Jennifer-Ruth Green, a Republican candidate and former Air Force veteran, resulting in the disclosure of a sexual assault that Green had experienced during her military service.
“The unauthorized disclosure of @RepDonBacon, @ZachNunn & 9 others’ service records is an unacceptable failure,” tweeted Republican Rep. Scott Franklin of Florida, who sits on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
The unauthorized disclosure of @RepDonBacon, @ZachNunn & 9 others’ service records is an unacceptable failure.
As a Navy veteran & @HouseVetAffairs member, I will conduct rigorous oversight of this breach to ensure it can never happen again!https://t.co/BjvM5HuIbs
— Congressman Scott Franklin (@RepFranklin) February 24, 2023
The Republicans involved are seeking clarification on whether the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and their Democratic opponents were involved in receiving or utilizing the information that was obtained from the unauthorized disclosure. In an interview, Bacon stated that Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has referred the results of its internal review to the Justice Department.
According to Politico, the Air Force informed two Republican congressional candidates, Sam Peters and Kevin Dellicker, that their records had also been improperly released. The Air Force stated that they had mistakenly sent the records to the Due Diligence Group. Republican Rep. Scott Franklin of Florida pledged to investigate the issue. Republicans involved are seeking clarification on whether the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and their Democratic opponents were involved in receiving or utilizing the information that was obtained from the unauthorized disclosure.
In February, Air Force Maj. Gen. Troy E. Dunn wrote a letter to Bacon stating that “The Air Force Personnel Record Center received multiple requests from Abraham Payton, Background Investigation Analyst with Due Diligence Group, LLC, for your military personnel records. He inappropriately requested copies of your military personnel records for the stated purpose of employment and benefits.” The Air Force’s investigation concluded that the unauthorized disclosure of information was not a criminal or intentional act. However, the responsible employee was held accountable for their actions.
“The DCCC needs to be [held to account], and I fully intend on making sure they are,” Peters told Politico last week. “You sanction somebody to steal, you’re guilty of a crime.” The Air Force identified 11 people in total as affected by the “unauthorized release of military duty information.”
POLITICO reviewed the request for the records made by a third party that sought a “publicly releasable/redacted copy of OMPF [Official Military Personnel File] per Freedom of Information Act statutes.” After publication, the Air Force said it erred in releasing the records and launched an investigation.
This incident has raised concerns about the lengths that political campaigns will go to secure an advantage. The Democrats’ alleged involvement in this matter has led to many conservatives questioning their commitment to fair play and decency.
In a world where winning at all costs seems to be the norm, it is essential to hold those responsible accountable for their actions. The American people deserve transparency and accountability in their government, and politicians and their surrogates must be held to the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct.
Sources: ConservativeBrief, DailyCaller, Politico
