Iowa Congressman Zach Nunn says state officials are investigating a group that recruited a fellow Republican to run against Nunn as an independent.
Joe Wiederien of Scranton has withdrawn his name from the General Election ballot and attended Nunn’s campaign fundraiser this weekend. Nunn asked him to stand and be recognized.
“When you try and steal an election by taking advantage of guy like Joe or any Iowans in this room — I don’t care what your party, we fight back,” Nunn said, pounding the lectern and, as the crowd applauded, Nunn continued: “Joe, thank you for what you’re doing.”
An Association Press investigation published earlier this month found a group called the Patriots Run Project had recruited candidates to run as independents in six congressional races — including Nunn’s.
“The (Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation) is currently investigating, so we won’t go into the investigation, but he took his name of the ballot because he realized Democrats knew that the only way they could win in Iowa is to steal elections, to do this kind of dark arts,” Nunn said.
Nunn, a Republican from Bondurant, is running for reelection in Iowa’s third congressional district. The Patriots Run Project also tried to recruit a candidate to run as an independent against first district Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, but didn’t collect enough signatures on nominating petitions.
“The Democrats are pouring money into Zach’s race, my race and they’re recruiting people from anywhere to run against us,” Miller-Meeks said during her brief remarks at Nunn’s fundraiser. “Why? Because they think they can lie and buy their way into congress and the White House.”
A spokesperson for the main campaign group supporting Democrats running for U-S House seats has said the organization had no knowledge or involvement in the Patriots Run Project activities in Iowa or elsewhere.