NRCC Chair Slams Democrat Use of Military Records

(RightWing.org) – The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has launched a furious attack on a Democrat opposition firm for its unauthorized publication of two GOP candidates’ military records. The files were released during last year’s midterm election campaign. It isn’t the first time the Dems have used illegally disclosed military records, either.

NRCC Chair: Dems' Alleged Use of GOP Stolen Military Records 'Disgusting' https://t.co/VAqdvh3ZLC

— GOP News (@GOPNewsGOP) February 21, 2023

Last October, POLITICO published an article on Republican congressional candidate Jennifer-Ruth Green — an article partly based on Green’s US Air Force records, which had been released without her consent to a Democrat opposition research firm. Now it turns out that those Dem researchers had been snooping around on several other GOP candidates and using dishonest methods to do it. Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) has a letter from the US Air Force notifying him that on November 12, 2021, his file was released to Abraham Payton, a former director of a Democrat PAC who now works for Due Diligence LLC.

Air Force Major General Troy E. Dunn wrote that Payton had Bacon’s Social Security number and “inappropriately” asked for his file “for the stated purposes of employment and benefits” — in other words, he lied to the Air Force to get information which, in fact, he had no right to receive. In total, 11 USAF personnel files were released to Due Diligence, with “the vast majority” requested by the same person.

Opposition research firms have no right to access military personnel files; it seems the Democrats got around that by simply lying. Now Representatives Mike Rogers (R-AL) and James Comer (R-KY) are pushing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for answers on why so many files were illegally released, saying our military needs to be able to trust its leaders to protect their personal information. Meanwhile, Representative Zach Nunn (R-IA), whose USAF records were also released to Payton, said Democrats targeting of military records “isn’t only a violation of public trust — it’s criminal.”

On February 23, POLITICO reported that two more former GOP candidates also had their records released by the Air Force. They are Kevin Dellicker (R-PA) and Sam Peters (R-NV). They are also calling for a full investigation into the breach.

The USAF says there was “no criminal or malicious intent” by the employee Payton deceived, but it’s improving its security procedures anyway. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has paid Due Diligence over $110,000 in the last two years, so it’s directly linked to Payton’s fraudulent data access. Now the victimized lawmakers want the Dem snoops punished.