Biden challenger Dean Phillips hit with ethics complaint over ‘illegal’ campaign coordination

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) is facing an ethics complaint from a left-wing watchdog group over his 2024 presidential campaign allegedly coordinating with an allied super PAC in violation of federal law.

The complaint, filed by the liberal Campaign for Accountability and signed by its executive director, Michelle Kuppersmith, was sent to the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday and accused the Phillips campaign and Pass the Torch PAC of unlawfully working on strategy together. It stems from how ex-Republican strategist Steve Schmidt, who helped launch the campaign, formed the super PAC, which then “began disseminating advertisements echoing the messaging that Schmidt had discussed with the candidate,” according to the watchdog.

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“Candidates and their committees cannot coordinate strategy with super PACs,” Kuppersmith said. “When the architect of the Phillips campaign suddenly moves over to lead a super PAC supporting Phillips’ candidacy the moment the ink on the blueprint is dry, the coordination is clear.”

The executive director added, “The FEC should immediately investigate whether Schmidt, Pass the Torch, and Dean 24 violated the law and, if so, seek appropriate sanctions.”

The complaint against Phillips underscores how the congressman has faced an uphill battle in his long-shot bid against President Joe Biden, who has a 70% lead in the Democratic primary, according to the FiveThirtyEight polling tracker. Allies of the president have grown frustrated with Phillips for deciding to run despite having little to no chance of winning the primary — determining that his candidacy only cedes ground to former President Donald Trump and Republicans.

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

“The complaint is baseless and does not allege a single specific example of coordination,” a spokesperson for the Phillips campaign told Axios. “All it takes is one look at our paid TV ads to see how different the strategies of these two entities are.”

The spokesperson added, “We can say without question that the campaign has at all times complied with the law and has not engaged in any coordination with Pass the Torch, Steve Schmidt, or any other party.”

However, according to the left-wing watchdog’s complaint, “Evidence strongly suggests that Pass the Torch and Steve Schmidt made over $450,000 in coordinated communications with Dean 24, Inc. to expressly advocate the election of Dean Phillips in violation of the Act and Commission regulations.”

Campaign for Accountability said in the complaint it appears the super PAC falsely reported “coordinated communications” as independent expenditures.

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“Steve Schmidt by his own admission helped develop the messaging for the Phillips campaign and then he helped launch a Super PAC,” Kuppersmith said. “All these parties can say all they want that the messaging strategies diverged, but it appears plainly obvious to us that this was an arrangement that started from coordination and we think the FEC will agree with us.”

The FEC declined to comment.