The Democratic National Committee filed another complaint against the main super PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., alleging that former President Trump’s largest donor is propping up the third-party run.
In a supplemental complaint filed Thursday against American Values 2024, the DNC said the pro-RFK Jr. super PAC’s monthly disclosure report filed on May 20, 2024, did not accurately disclose Gavin de Becker’s most recent payment to the group as a loan.
De Becker, a longtime friend of RFK Jr., is the founder of a California-based security and consulting firm that is the largest vendor to Kennedy’s campaign. The group instead disguised it as a “contribution,” which inflates their level of support and minimizes the extent to which Timothy Mellon, Trump’s largest donor, is propping up the super PAC, according to the DNC.
Kennedy has racked up millions in debt with de Becker’s security firm as the Biden administration has repeatedly denied his requests for Secret Service protection while on the campaign trail. Kennedy’s uncle, President John F. Kennedy, and father, Robert F. Kennedy, a U.S. senator and presidential candidate, were both assassinated in the 1960s,
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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks at the Libertarian National Convention on May 24, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
RFK Jr. announced an independent presidential run in October, citing grievances with the Democratic establishment.
“The PAC again has failed to accurately disclose Mr. de Becker’s $4 million payment on February 15, 2024, as a ‘loan,’ as evidenced by its reporting of a repayment to Mr. de Becker of one-half of that sum on April 25, 2024. Nor does American Values disclose that an additional repayment of $2 million towards the February 2024 loan remains outstanding,” the DNC complaint says. “This ongoing violation continues to mislead the public, the press, and potential donors as to the support for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s campaign. The PAC’s practice of masking these loans as contributions also obscures the fact that the principal Super PAC supporting Mr. Kennedy’s campaign has faced anemic fundraising until it was repeatedly bailed out by one of Donald Trump’s largest donors, Timothy Mellon.”
The DNC says that American Values 2024 reported $21 million in receipts between January and April 2024 and has received a $4 million loan from de Becker and a $4 million payment from Nicole Shanahan in the weeks prior to Kennedy selecting her as his running mate.
A billboard launched by the Democratic National Committee highlights how Kennedy’s Super PAC is allegedly receiving millions from Donald Trump’s largest donor, Timothy Mellon, on Feb. 9, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Emily Elconin/Getty Images for DNC)
“Three-quarters of the remaining $13 million in receipts come from the largest donor to Donald Trump’s Super PAC,” the supplemental complaint says, alleging American Values 2024’s actions constitute a violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 and thwart the purpose of the FEC to “protect the integrity of the federal campaign finance process by promoting transparency.”
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“Despite what AV24 may believe, the rules do apply to them. By continuing to inflate their fundraising numbers, and concealing the extent to which Timothy Mellon, Donald Trump’s largest donor, is propping up RFK Jr.’s candidacy, they are not only misconstruing election laws, they are deceiving the public,” DNC senior adviser Mary Beth Cahill said in a statement Friday. “The DNC is here to make sure RFK Jr.’s campaign plays by the rules and to remind voters that he is a spoiler for Donald Trump.”
Kennedy is seeking to be part of the first presidential debate scheduled for June 27, 2024. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Tony Lyons, co-founder of American Values 2024, told CBS News on Thursday that the DNC’s latest complaint is “part of their concerted effort to silence and censor Bobby Kennedy, mislead the public about his views, his policies and his past.”
“We will answer this officially to the FEC,” Lyons said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the super PAC for added comment on Sunday.
In March, the DNC filed its original FEC complaint against American Values 2024, alleging that the super PAC failed to properly disclose $10 million in payments from de Becker as “loans,” while repaying him $9.65 million.
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The DNC also filed a complaint in February in response to the super PAC announcing it would help Kennedy gather signatures in the battleground states of Georgia, Arizona and Michigan, as well as in Maryland, Massachusetts, South Carolina and West Virginia, to help get him on the ballot.
