Rogue Trumpists Create Group To Raise Unlimited Cash from Secret Donors
The group plans “to litigate cases of importance to the American republic.” Original members include the MyPillow Guy and Mike Flynn’s brother.
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photos Getty
A group of rogue Trump loyalists has expanded their fundraising ambitions with a new dark-money group that can accept unlimited cash from secret donors “to litigate cases of importance to the American republic.”
The founding members of the group—a 501(c)(4) nonprofit called Defending the Republic Inc—include Joe Flynn, the QAnon-happy brother of former national security adviser Mike Flynn, and Emily Newman, the White House liaison turned renegade election litigator. A sister super PAC by the same name, sharing the same mailbox, was created around the same time.
The group was founded the day after MyPillow CEO and MAGA diehard Mike Lindell was hit with a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit. Incorporation documents list Lindell as one of the original board members, but he told The Daily Beast that he was “too busy” and resigned “a couple weeks ago.” The pillow mogul said he still advises “the group, as well as as other PACs, where I think there are relevant needs.” Asked specifically on Thursday afternoon about the newly-launched Defending the Republic super PAC, Lindell replied, “I have no involvement with that one at this time. I didn’t know anything about it, and I haven’t researched it yet.”
