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MAGA groups hosted “bootcamp” for right-wing operatives

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, it was revealed that three key conservative groups hosted a “Congressional Oversight Bootcamp” last month for far-right Capitol Hill operatives at the Conservative Partnership Institute’s “conservative Camp David” estate in Maryland. Invitees, including 15 staffers for Republicans who attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election, received training on “oversight” from a slew of right-wing lobbyists, extremists, and known Congressional stonewallers.

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While election deniers in Congress are sending their staffers to be trained in the art of partisan political stunts at the so-called conservative Camp David, they can't be bothered to focus on the issues that actually matter to Americans. The MAGA majority in the House has the wrong priorities — and those priorities are being set by right-wing, extremist groups like the Conservative Partnership Institute pulling the strings.”

Accountable.US Executive Director Tony Carrk.

Politico highlights:

“The two-day event, which took place on Maryland’s Eastern shore, illustrates how Trump-allied activists are quietly shaping House Republicans’ investigations of the Biden administration right as Trump himself mounts another White House bid. Topics discussed at the bootcamp included tutorials on obtaining records and deposing and interviewing witnesses, according to a flier in the filings.”

“Invitees included, among others, 15 staffers to Republican lawmakers who voted to overturn the results of the 2020 election, including Reps. Andy Harris of Maryland, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Lance Gooden of Texas. The staff, mostly legislative assistants, were invited “because their official duties include assisting with oversight matters” on a range of congressional committees, according to a disclosure form filed by one of the other three hosts, the American Accountability Foundation. The group is a nonprofit opposition research firm formed in 2021 that’s used “unorthodox” and “controversial” tactics to block the Biden agenda, according to Fox News.”

“Such training sessions are permissible under congressional ethics rules unless registered lobbyists are driving the sessions, said Richard Painter, a former ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration. “Even if it’s technically legal, it’s very unseemly,” he said of “outside partisan groups hauling staff over to a resort with only Republicans in the room and coaching them on how to get more aggressive…It really undermines the integrity of any investigations.’”

Accountable.US recently launched its Monitoring Influence project to document the dark money network connecting these right-wing groups and others. Along with regularly updating the Monitoring Influence database with new connections and organizations, Accountable is also tracking how these extremist groups and others are working to influence the MAGA majority in Congress.

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