Harry Dunn, a former U.S. Capitol Police officer, is launching a political action committee designed to support pro-democracy candidates and target former President Donald Trump and “anti-democracy MAGA extremists.”
Dunn was one of the officers who defended the Capitol against rioters on Jan. 6, 2021. He ran for one of Maryland’s open House seats in May with Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) endorsement.
“A Super PAC funded by MAGA extremist donors who also gave to Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Lauren Boebert just dropped $500k in our race,” he wrote on X after a super PAC aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee backed his opponent in the primaries. “They want to buy this election. They will fail.”
Dunn ended up losing the Democratic primary for Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District to state Sen. Sarah Elfreth.
He is starting a new hybrid PAC, called Dunn’s Democracy Defenders, to support candidates across the ballot “who will protect democracy from MAGA and help get big money out of our politics,” while targeting “insurrectionists” and others he believes threaten democracy, according to a press release of his announcement.
“Our democracy hangs in the balance,” Dunn said in a statement. “MAGA extremists are trying to end our democracy. Giant super PACs want to buy our democracy so it only works for them. Now more than ever, our democracy needs Defenders.”
In 2022, Dunn testified before the House committee investigating the Capitol attack. After the insurrection, he has been trying to get more involved in politics “to fight and preserve our Constitution and fight for our democracy,” he told the Hill in an interview.
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Dunn did not reveal which candidates he would support or target during this election cycle.
A hybrid PAC, also known as a Carey Committee, operates with two separate bank accounts — one for contributions to candidates, which is subject to contribution limits, and another for independent expenditures, which allows unlimited donations from groups and individuals.
