New PAC Reported $0 Through Oct. 14, Then $1.2M in Ohio's Senate Race: Half for the Libertarian, Half Against Husted

“Two brand-new PACs with no donors on file have reported $2.8 million in a Senate race, backing third-party candidates and attacking both major-party nominees, and voters deserve to know who paid before anyone assigns blame by party.”

Buckeye Freedom PAC registered Oct. 5, showed $0 raised and $0 spent on Oct. 15, then reported $1.2 million in spending three days later, split evenly between backing Libertarian Bill Redpath and attacking Republican Sen. Jon Husted. Its filings name no donor, and its Oct. 18 amendment changed its treasurer, bank and address in one move. That deserves scrutiny, and it hit a Republican. Enough Promises Ohio is the stronger story for the left: its vendor shares a suite with a firm run by Big Dog Strategies, which advises MAGA Inc. But a shared address shows a vendor relationship, not who paid, the donors are undisclosed, and no record shows any coordination with Husted's campaign. Outlets covered the Brown-spoiler story. RockLeak found no coverage of the PAC that spent against a Republican incumbent, and the Fox piece skips both. The fix is the same either way: disclose the donors. Buckeye's next regular report isn't due until Dec. 3, which is too late for an Oct. 17 ad buy.

Concedes: The vendor trail from Enough Promises Ohio runs to a firm tied to a MAGA super PAC, Levy says the mailers falsely pose as his campaign, and the spending is aimed at Brown. A reasonable reader can call that an apparent attempt to siphon votes from the Democrat, and I cannot show otherwise because the donors are hidden.

“Two fresh PACs with no disclosed donors are spending millions to pull votes toward third-party candidates on both sides of a close Ohio race, and the public deserves to know who is paying before Nov. 3.”

Enough Promises Ohio registered Sept. 29 and has already reported $1.58 million in spending, yet its only full financial report so far shows $0 raised. Its mail vendor shares a suite with a firm run by Big Dog Strategies, which advises MAGA Inc. and managed Moreno's 2024 win over Brown. Buckeye Freedom PAC registered Oct. 5, reported $0 raised and $0 spent on Oct. 15, then reported $1.2 million in spending three days later. On that same day it changed its address, treasurer and bank, and it names no donor. Levy says the pro-Levy mailers impersonate his campaign and are dirty tricks. The pattern is a lot of money from unknown sources, aimed at third-party candidates and the major-party nominees in a race that polls show is close. That is a transparency failure whatever the intent turns out to be.

Concedes: The evidence does not show who funds either group, and a shared address is not proof of who paid. No record shows coordination with Husted's campaign, and no record links the two PACs to each other. Spectrum News notes that both parties have used third-party boosts before. Polls have Levy and Redpath in single digits, so nobody can say this spending changes votes, and Levy's impersonation claim is unverified because RockLeak has not seen the mailers.

“Two new PACs with no disclosed donors are spending big in Ohio, and until the filings say who is paying, both parties' partisans are guessing about motive.”

The filings prove a few things and only those. Buckeye Freedom PAC showed $0 raised and $0 spent on Oct. 15, then reported $1.2 million in spending three days later while moving its address, treasurer and bank. Enough Promises Ohio reported $0 raised through Sept. 30 and has since spent $1.58 million, much of it with a vendor that shares a suite with a firm run by Big Dog Strategies, which advises MAGA Inc. A shared address is a trail, not proof of who paid, and no record links the two PACs to each other or to any campaign. Outlets that call the group GOP-linked are reading a vendor connection as political sponsorship, which is plausible but not shown. The next test comes Oct. 22, when Enough Promises Ohio's pre-general report is due. Buckeye Freedom PAC's next regular report isn't due until Dec. 3, a month after the election.

Concedes: The spending against the major-party nominees is roughly matched: $518,609 against Brown and $600,000 against Husted. But the larger and better-documented effort is the pro-Levy money, which hurts Brown, and its vendor trail leads to a firm tied to the Republican side. Critics who read that as a GOP-aligned play have the strongest evidence of anyone so far. Past examples show both parties have used this tactic.

“Two brand-new PACs with no donors on file and out-of-state vendors are steering money into Ohio's Senate race, and the party faithful on both sides would rather talk about anything else.”

Buckeye Freedom PAC registered Oct. 5, showed $0 raised and $0 spent on Oct. 15, then reported $1.2 million in spending three days later, backing Libertarian Bill Redpath and attacking Sen. Jon Husted. Its filings name no donor, and it changed its address, treasurer and bank on the same day it filed. Enough Promises Ohio shows $0 raised on its only full financial report so far, yet it has reported $1.58 million in spending, mostly backing socialist Greg Levy, and its mail vendor shares a suite with a firm run by Big Dog Strategies, which advises MAGA Inc. Levy himself calls the mailers dirty tricks. Politico's story covered only the Levy PAC, with no mention of Buckeye Freedom PAC or Redpath in the copies RockLeak saw, and RockLeak found no right-leaning outlet covering either group. Voters are being told nothing about who is paying, and Buckeye Freedom PAC's next regular report isn't due until Dec. 3, a month after the Nov. 3 election.

Concedes: The establishment-friendly point is fair: the evidence does not show who funds either group, a shared suite address is not proof of who paid, and nothing in the record shows coordination with the Husted campaign. Polls also have Levy and Redpath in single digits, so there is no evidence yet that this spending moves votes.