Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News and MSNBC reported that a well-funded new Super PAC named Tennessee Conservative PAC says it intends to file a lawsuit challenging the General Assembly-passed three-year residency requirement legislation for candidates in federal primaries.
The legislation has yet to be transmitted to Governor Bill Lee for his signature.
The Punchbowl News report said:
The Tennessee House cleared a bill Monday that would require candidates for Congress to have lived in the state for three years. The Senate has already passed this bill, so it will now head to Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s desk.
This bill is seen as targeting Morgan Ortagus, a former State Department official who is running for Congress. Ortagus moved to the state earlier this year. She has former President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
Here’s something interesting. We hear Tennessee Conservative PAC, a Super PAC that’s expected to back Ortagus, will support a lawsuit seeking to overturn the law. The super PAC already has at least $1 million in the bank, a source connected to the group told us. They will argue that the legislature is putting unconstitutional requirements on serving in Congress.
Sherman also tweeted the same information. Sherman’s reporting does not state a source. The Tennessee Star reached out to him but have not heard back as of press time.
NEW in @PunchbowlNews AM — Tennessee Conservative PAC, new super PAC w 7 fig in bank, says it intends to fund a lawsuit to overturn a bill expected to become law law requiring candidates to live in TN for 3 yrs before running for congress.
Bill seen as targeting @MorganOrtagus
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 29, 2022
A Federal Election Commission search does not show any PAC named Tennessee Conservative PAC. It does however, list a Super PAC named Tennessee Conservatives PAC.
Tennessee Conservatives PAC’s statement of organization lists Charles Gantt of Bulldog Compliance as the treasurer. Bulldog Compliance is a subsidiary of Red Curve Solutions, an organization that handles the books of many dark money groups. Tennessee Conservatives PAC has not yet filed a finance report.
Gantt’s address as PAC treasurer on the document is listed as a Beverly, Massachusetts office building and the PAC’s main mailing address is a Nashville P.O. box.
Red Curve Solutions handles the books for a variety of dark money clients, as well as legitimate PACs.
One Super PAC that Red Curve Solutions handles is Maverick PAC. The company has handled Maverick PAC’s books since at least 2014. Candidate for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, Ortagus was employed by Maverick PAC during the 2016 election cycle. The PAC supported Jeb Bush in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries where she made comments referring to President Trump’s behavior as “disgusting” and said the president “isn’t serious.”
Bradley Crate, the founder of Red Curve Solutions, is listed as the treasure for Maverick PAC. Crate also served as deputy chief financial officer of the Romney for President campaign.
If the three-year residency requirement becomes law, Ortagus would be immediately off the ballot unless a successful lawsuit put her back on.
Ortagus previously wrote an op-ed published in the left-wing Gannett-owned Tennessean in which she advocated against the three-year residency but said she would abide by the General Assembly’s decision. A search of Ortagus’ social media does not show a reaction to the General Assembly-passed legislation.
The Star reached out to Ortagus for reaction to Monday’s House vote overwhelmingly approving the three-year residency requirement, asking “The Tennessee General Assembly has passed the three-year residency requirement for candidates in federal primaries. In her op-ed opposing the measure, Ortagus said that she would abide by their decision. Does this mean that Ortagus will immediately drop out of the race?”
Her team responded, highlighting some quotes from the Ortagus op-ed, “As I’ve said from the beginning: I’m a true conservative, and I’m going to leave state matters up to the state,” she said. “Whatever the outcome of this bill, I will continue to fight for my country, my state, and my community in any way that I can. I always have, and I always will.”
The Ortagus team also provided a statement on the residency bill’s General Assembly passage.
“No one questioned my residency when I served our country in the intelligence community, the Trump administration, nor in the U.S. Navy Reserves, and President Trump certainly didn’t question my residency when he endorsed me for this seat. I continue to trust my fellow Tennesseans, the voters in the 5th district, to choose who will best represent them in Congress. Nashville is a warm and welcoming community that I am proud to be a part of, and am proud to raise my family here,” the team said on Ortagus’ behalf.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, and Parler.
Photo “Morgan Ortagus” by U.S. Embassy.
