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Gabbard’s Financial Ties to a Republican Operative Accused of Campaign Finance and Tax Violations Raise Alarming Questions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – New research from Accountable.US reveals that Director of National Intelligence (DNI) nominee Tulsi Gabbard has deep financial connections to Thomas Datwyler—a GOP campaign operative at the center of multiple campaign finance violations, dark money networks, and election scandals.

Datwyler currently serves as treasurer for over 380 Republican campaigns and political committees, including those for Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), and Rich McCormick (R-GA). He has been accused of wire fraud, funneling dark money into GOP PACs, using a deceased person’s name to skirt campaign finance laws, and managing finances for George Santos’s scandal-ridden campaign. Datwyler was also tied to Trump’s secret $1 million funding of the Arizona election “audit” and legal defense funds for top Trump allies. Furthermore, Datwyler was under a criminal campaign finance investigation in Mississippi as of August 2023. 

Despite this extensive record of financial misconduct, Datwyler is listed as the treasurer and principal officer of two nonprofits led by Gabbard—We Must Protect and We Must Protect Action Fund—raising major questions about the transparency, legality, and political motivations behind these organizations.

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With a track record of aligning with authoritarian regimes and amplifying conspiracy theories, Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as Director of National Intelligence was already raising red flags. Now, we learn that her nonprofits are financially entangled with a GOP dark money operative under scrutiny for campaign finance violations. Before she is entrusted with overseeing the nation’s intelligence agencies, the Senate must demand full transparency.

There is no way Tulsi Gabbard should be entrusted with the country’s top intelligence position when her nonprofits are enmeshed in a troubling network run by someone with such a vast history of financial misconduct."

Caroline Ciccone, President of Accountable.US.

The new research highlights a troubling pattern of potential financial misconduct within Gabbard’s nonprofit network:

  • We Must Protect (501(c)(3)) has received all of its funding from government grants and contributions from anonymous sources.
  • Datwyler, the treasurer of these organizations, has been repeatedly accused of campaign finance violations, including illegal campaign contributions by nonprofits, the unlawful use of shell donors, and wire fraud.

Datwyler’s influence in GOP finance extends beyond Gabbard. He previously served as campaign treasurer for Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), who was under federal investigation for potential campaign finance violations. While prosecutors recently withdrew from the case, the congressional ethics investigation into Ogles’s financial disclosures remains ongoing—shedding light on the larger pattern of financial misconduct in GOP circles tied to Datwyler.

Datwyler’s influence in conservative campaign finance runs deep, spanning congressional races and powerful PACs bankrolled by dark money donors. His history of violations and financial entanglements has made him a go-to figure for funneling untraceable funds into Republican political operations. His firm, 9Seven Consulting, was acquired by Axiom Strategies, a powerhouse GOP firm, consolidating his influence over Republican campaign finance operations.The fact that he now plays a key financial role in Tulsi Gabbard’s nonprofits is more than a coincidence—it’s a clear signal that her nomination demands urgent scrutiny.

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