Dem-linked political group blasted for meddling in key GOP primary to boost challenger: 'Lame attempt'

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A California-based group linked to Democrats is getting involved in a Pennsylvania congressional primary by boosting a Republican against a Republican incumbent in the latest example of liberal funds being directed toward a GOP primary.

True Patriots PA, a liberal group linked to California Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell, sent out mailers to Pennsylvania voters to slam GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and say he is not conservative enough, in essence boosting his primary opponent, Mark Houck, Politico first reported this week.

Fox News Digital obtained some of those mailers that framed Fitzpatrick as a "RINO" ("Republican in name only") and implied he wasn’t conservative enough for the base that supports former President Trump.

"MAGA is ready to bag the biggest RINO in Congress," reads one of the mailers along with a photo of Fitzpatrick photoshopped onto a rhinoceros body. "We sent Brian Fitzpatrick to D.C. to represent our values, instead, he became best friends with Kamala Harris and the Democrats," another mailer said.

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Eric Swalwell, left, and Brian Fitzpatrick (File)

FEC records show True Patriots PA spent roughly $26,000 on the mailer.

Meagan Olson is listed as treasurer for both True Patriots PA and the Swalwell campaign.

"I consider Brian a friend and someone who has bravely defied his party to help secure Ukraine aid," Rep. Swalwell told Fox News Digital in a statement. "I have never heard of his primary opponent and am not involved or support any effort to defeat Brian in the primary. My office uses a professional compliance firm that serves as treasurer for dozens of campaigns."

When reached for comment, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) directed Fox News Digital to a Washington Post article in January 2024 in which DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene said her group no longer supports the strategy of propping up "far-right" candidates in swing districts.

"It should come as no surprise that a group connected to Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat who is so dumb that he was tricked into sleeping with a Chinese spy, would be propping up self-described chronic masturbator Mark Houck in the Republican Primary against Brian Fitzpatrick," Defending America PAC’s Chris Pack told Fox News Digital.

"Even Democrats as intellectually challenged as Eric Swalwell know that their best chance at flipping the one seat needed to take back Democrat control of the House of Representatives is if Mark Houck beats Brian Fitzpatrick in the primary next Tuesday." 

Houck, a pro-life activist, has made previous acknowledgments that he "had a pornography problem" as a young man and spoke openly at a church conference about talking to his son about masturbation and erections.

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True Patriots PA sent out mailers to Pennsylvania voters slamming GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.

"I struggled with pornography, and of course that leads to sexual sin, masturbation and stuff. That was a chronic habit," Houck said in a 2010 interview, which Defending America PAC included in an ad titled "Beat it."

In a recent statement, Houck said he "fell victim to the dehumanizing effects of the pornography industry" over "two decades ago." He also defended the conversation about his son, saying the clips circulating online "seizes on de-contextualized comments I made with my son present in public pursuit of this transformative ministry" meant to steer people away from pornography.

The Democrat group boosting Houck is the latest example of a recent trend in which liberal funds have been used to back Republican challengers in an effort to sink candidates who support or are supported by former President Trump.

PACs linked to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have spent millions meddling in GOP primaries this cycle, including in swing state Senate races in Ohio and Montana.

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True Patriots PA sent out mailers to Pennsylvania voters slamming GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. (Fox News Digital)

Duty and Country PAC, affiliated with Schumer, ran ads during the Ohio GOP Senate primary that accused Trump-backed businessman Bernie Moreno of being "too conservative for Ohio." That effort proved unsuccessful in the primary as Moreno won every county in the Buckeye State, beating his nearest challenger by almost 20 points.

In 2022, Democrats spent more than $40 million to boost six pro-Trump candidates in Republican primaries, and all six of those Republicans lost their general election races to Democrats.

Fitzpatrick, who has so far declined to say if he will endorse Trump, voted against impeaching Trump twice and won re-election in 2022 by almost 10 points, despite Biden carrying the 1st Congressional district.

"After years of brutal losses, the far-left has finally figured out they have no chance of beating Congressman Fitzpatrick, so they’ve now tagged California left-wing extremists to meddle in his primary using the same violent political rhetoric they claim to stand against," Fitzpatrick campaign spokesperson Ben Trundy told Fox News Digital in statement.

"This lame attempt to prop up Mark Houck, an admitted porn addict and serial grifter who believes in complete abortion bans with no exceptions, shows just how desperate they are to force their extreme policies on Bucks and Montgomery County voters."