George Santos ‘shadow treasurer’ accused of wire fraud by GOP super PAC

A conservative political treasurer associated with former Rep. George Santos’s (R-N.Y.) campaign was accused of wire fraud by a GOP super PAC in Nevada, according to a Justice Department complaint.

The Conservative Nevada Leadership PAC (CNLP) demanded the Justice Department investigate Thomas Datwyler, who has headed up the financial operations of dozens of Republican candidates and political committees in recent cycles.

Datwyler acted as a “shadow treasurer” for Santos’s brief reelection bid, despite previously disavowing his involvement to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the media. 

CNLP, a fundraising group formed to back GOP primary Senate candidate Jim Marchant, accused Datwyler of using its funds to write a $500 check after he stepped down as its treasurer. 

“Datwyler has a long history of running roughshod over federal campaign finance law and the regulations of the FEC, where he has repeatedly filed or caused to be filed false reports with the [FEC],” the complaint reads. “Datwyler’s knowing, willful, and intentional conduct, which has drawn repeated FEC fines, has and continues to cause substantial harm to our electoral process. As detailed below, Datwyler’s recent conduct has become even more out-of-control.”

According to the complaint, dated Friday, CNLP raised no money while Datwyler was its treasurer, between June and November of last year. The group received its first donation of $5,000 in December, after Datwyler had stepped down, though the group claims Datwyler wrote a check in February to his political compliance firm from the PAC’s account for $500.

“CNLP at no time authorized this expenditure, or the printing of this check to AxCapital,” the complaint continues. “Only after being caught did Datwyler state that he would issue a refund from AxCapital to CNLP. This activity by Datwyler was plainly illegal.”

Datwyler did not respond to a request for comment.

The Nevada complaint was written by Dan Backer, himself a veteran GOP political attorney and consultant.

“This is the most glaring and recent example of a pattern of misconduct spanning years,” said Backer, who accused Datwyler of having a reputation for skirting campaign finance law. “Multiple campaigns have expressed concerns and frustrations.”

Datwyler has racked up tens of thousands of dollars in FEC fines for campaigns he was involved with, including more than $20,000 in the 2022 cycle alone, according to the agency.

Backer explained that the extraordinary step of a Justice Department complaint was necessary because of the severity of the accusations and the fines already imposed on campaigns he has worked for.

“That’s doors that you’re not knocking, mail you’re not sending … and that’s just the fines,” he said. “This kind of thing is hurting our side of the aisle, and it has to stop.”

Datwyler has previously been affiliated with groups backing Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) and GOP Ohio Senate primary candidate Josh Mandel, among others.

In April, the Democratic-affiliated abortion rights group EMILY’s List called on the FEC to investigate Datwyler for failing to report ad spending in an Arizona House race.

Datwyler is already under criminal investigation in Mississippi, with state prosecutors alleging he may have broken state campaign finance law while backing a Republican lieutenant governor primary campaign in the state with his own super PAC.

His firm, Ax Capital Compliance, is owned by Republican political operation Axiom Strategies, the largest GOP group of its kind in the country. Axiom has consulted for numerous GOP campaigns, including those of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and the presidential campaign of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Axiom General Counsel Eric Brown defended Datwyler in a statement to The Hill, denouncing the allegations as “baseless attacks.”

“AxCapital is the premier political compliance firm and it’s no surprise it faces baseless attacks,” he said. “AxCapital seeks to uphold the highest level of commitment to its clients, and this letter doesn’t change that and is nothing more than a stunt.”

Updated Aug. 4.