Former State Sen. Gerald Dial recently filed a complaint with Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen over mailers from the American Conservative Fund backing his incumbent primary opponent, State Sen. Randy Price (R-Opelika).
According to FEC records, the American Conservative Fund is bankrolled by sports betting companies such as DraftKings, Fanatics, and FanDuel. The group is backing a variety of Republican candidates in State House and Senate primaries across Alabama. Alabama’s primary is May 19.
The three sports betting companies have donated $26.6 million to the American Conservative Fund to use in races across the country, according to their FEC report filed on Wednesday.
Dial is calling for a state investigation into the group’s activities in his race.
“I am writing to formally file a complaint and request immediate investigation and enforcement action regarding multiple campaign mailers distributed throughout Alabama Senate District 13. Representative examples of these mailers are attached hereto and incorporated by reference,” Dial said in a letter to Allen in late March. “These mailers expressly advocate for the election of Randy Price for State Senate and are attributed to an entity identifying itself as the “American Conservative Fund.” While the mailers include a limited “paid for by” reference, they fail to meet the full disclosure requirements mandated under Alabama law. Importantly, these communications are being distributed for the direct benefit of Randy Price as the candidate promoted in the mailers, and therefore warrant review not only of the sponsoring entity but also of any coordination, knowledge, or involvement by the candidate or his campaign.”
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Dial continued, “The attached mailers demonstrate that, although 'American Conservative Fund' is listed, no valid physical address is provided, rendering the disclosure incomplete and noncompliant with statutory requirements. This omission prevents voters and regulators from identifying, verifying, or holding accountable the entity responsible for the communication. Additionally, these mailers constitute express advocacy and have been widely distributed throughout District 13 during an active election cycle, significantly increasing the seriousness of the violation and its potential impact on voters. Given that the primary election is scheduled for May 19, the continued circulation of these noncompliant materials presents an ongoing and immediate threat to the transparency and integrity of the electoral process.”
“This matter warrants urgent attention to ensure that all political actors are held to the same legal standards and that the voters of District 13 are afforded the transparency required under Alabama law,” Dial said in the letter.
Laney Rawls, a spokeswoman for Allen, told 1819 News on Thursday, “The Office of the Secretary of State has a policy of not commenting on complaints received. The Office also has a policy of forwarding complaints received to the appropriate law enforcement agency for investigation.”
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