In the final weeks of the 2026 midterm elections, Republican candidates across the United States began facing an unusual line of attack. In a contest widely seen as a referendum on the Trump administration, they were suddenly accused of not being conservative enough. A CNN investigation published on Friday, November 13, 2026, found that three obscure political groups that did not exist until this year poured millions of dollars into a last-minute campaign to peel conservative voters away from Republicans and steer them towards little-known Libertarian candidates presented as the “true conservatives.” The most prolific, a super PAC called Our Heritage Matters, emerged less than three weeks before Election Day and reported spending more than $8.5 million across 35 House and Senate races.

Key Points

• CNN found three groups formed in 2026 — Our Heritage Matters, American Forge Coalition and Patriotic Duty Initiative — spent millions attacking Republicans from the right and boosting Libertarians as “true conservatives.”
• Our Heritage Matters spent $8.5 million-plus across 35 House and Senate races. In Ohio’s 10th and South Carolina’s 1st, the Libertarian vote topped the Republican margin of defeat.
• In Kansas, it spent $850,000-plus against Senator Roger Marshall and $609,000 for Libertarian David Graham. In Iowa, $567,000-plus against Ashley Hinson and nearly $716,000 for Libertarian Thomas Laehn.
• All three groups link to Salt Lake City accountant Mike McCauley, who incorporated the nonprofits on May 19 and became the super PAC’s treasurer on October 15.
• Its spending was attributed to two Delaware firms formed October 6 — Chase Grove LLC, about $7.1 million, and Good Way Associates, about $1.4 million. The nonprofits need not disclose donors.

What Happened

The groups followed a consistent playbook: robocalls and texts warning that Republicans had betrayed conservative principles, and mailers accusing them of embracing liberal policies, with a little-known Libertarian offered as the real conservative. In Minnesota, a robocall declared: “There is only one conservative running for US Senate in Minnesota this year and her name is Rebecca Whiting.” Republican nominee Michele Tafoya lost by double digits.

In Ohio’s 10th District, texts paid for by Our Heritage Matters warned voters to “STOP liberals and Fake Republicans from TAKING OUR GUNS,” praising Libertarian Thomas McMasters as a defender of gun rights. McMasters finished third with 8,906 votes, while Democrat Kristina Knickerbocker beat Republican incumbent Mike Turner by 4,938. In South Carolina’s 1st, Libertarian William Reeside won 5,351 votes, while Democrat Nancy Lacore beat Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt by 3,352. In Kansas, the group spent $850,000-plus against Senator Roger Marshall and $609,000 for Libertarian David Graham; in Iowa, $567,000-plus against Ashley Hinson and nearly $716,000 for Libertarian Thomas Laehn. Democrats won both Senate races. One robocall against Marshall alleged the physician senator had personally terminated pregnancies; Marshall denied ever performing abortions.

Background and Context

The operation shows how opaque outside political spending has become. Since Citizens United in 2010 opened the door to unlimited outside spending, super PACs and nonprofits that hide their donors have grown into a powerful force in American elections. Dark money totalled at least $1.47 billion in the 2026 midterms, above $1.35 billion in 2024, according to OpenSecrets. US News Pulse reported before the election that secret cash was already flooding the 2026 races.

American Forge Coalition had already drawn attention with mailers accusing Representative Mike Lawler of New York of backing mass amnesty; Lawler said the Justice Department had told his campaign it referred the group to the FBI. Super PACs may not coordinate with candidates, so the Libertarians boosted were almost certainly unwitting beneficiaries.

Secret Money Midterms 2026: How the Groups Operated

Corporate records obtained by CNN show Mike McCauley, a Salt Lake City accountant, incorporated American Forge Coalition and Patriotic Duty Initiative in Delaware on May 19, the same day, as nonprofits intending to operate as 501(c)(4) social-welfare groups, which generally need not disclose donors. Five months later, McCauley was listed as treasurer of Our Heritage Matters when it registered with the Federal Election Commission on October 15, just 19 days before Election Day and one day after the pre-election disclosure period closed. Its spending was attributed to two Delaware companies formed October 6: Chase Grove LLC, about $7.1 million, mostly digital ads, and Good Way Associates, about $1.4 million for mail, text and phone ads. The super PAC must name its donors by December 3; the nonprofits may never have to.

Reactions and Quotes

The Libertarians who benefited said they knew nothing. “I had no idea any of this was going on in the background,” said Thomas McMasters of Ohio’s 10th District. “If they’re conveying my message properly, I don’t have a problem with them,” he told CNN. “But if the real objective was to support Knickerbocker they should have to say they’re supporting Knickerbocker.” Iowa’s Thomas Laehn said at least three organisations paid for ads backing him: “Neither I nor my campaign bear any responsibility for them. They were sent without my knowledge or permission.” McCauley and the groups did not respond to CNN.

Why It Matters

In at least two House races, the Libertarian vote exceeded the Republican margin of defeat, raising the question of whether the campaign changed the outcome. The groups did not need voters to back Democrats — only to abandon the Republican nominee for a third-party candidate with no chance of winning. Voters in 35 races were targeted by millions in ads from groups that had existed for weeks. A separate $20 million dark-money shell is already the subject of a Federal Election Commission complaint.

What Happens Next

The first test comes December 3, when Our Heritage Matters must name its contributors — although the money was attributed to two Delaware companies, so the true sources may sit behind more corporate paperwork. The nonprofits face no deadline, and their donors may stay hidden indefinitely. The investigation may fuel new FEC complaints and demands for disclosure rules covering pop-up groups. With the 2028 cycle taking shape, the 2026 midterms may be remembered as the election in which secret money learned to attack from inside a party’s own flank.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the CNN investigation find?

Three groups formed in 2026 spent millions attacking Republicans as insufficiently conservative and boosting Libertarians as the “true conservatives,” all linked to accountant Mike McCauley.

How much did Our Heritage Matters spend?

More than $8.5 million across 35 races: about $7.1 million via Chase Grove LLC, mostly digital ads, and $1.4 million via Good Way Associates for mail, text and phone ads.

Did the spending change any election results?

Possibly. In Ohio’s 10th, the Libertarian won 8,906 votes while the Democrat beat the Republican by 4,938; in South Carolina’s 1st, the Libertarian won 5,351 while the Democrat won by 3,352.

Who is Mike McCauley?

A Salt Lake City accountant whose firm serves political organisations. He incorporated the two nonprofits on May 19 and became the super PAC’s treasurer on October 15.

When will the donors be revealed?

Our Heritage Matters must report donors by December 3, 2026. The two 501(c)(4) nonprofits generally need not disclose donors, so their funding may never be revealed.