ULINE CEO’s Restoration PAC Hauls in $51.8 Million in Third Quarter

GOP megadonor Richard Uihlein’s Restoration PAC disclosed raising $51.8 million and dispersing $30.4 million in a Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing for the third quarter reviewed by the Center for the Media and Democracy (CMD).

The CEO of ULINE — a shipping and packaging company based in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin — contributed $48.8 million, or 94% of the total raised between July and September. Other major donors to Uihlein’s PAC over the same period include Wall Street investor Tom Klingenstein ($2.5 million); Mountaire Chairman Ronald Cameron ($250,000); and JW Childs Associates Chairman John Childs ($200,000).

Restoration PAC states on its website that it “engages in elections, provides support to truly conservative candidates, and opposes Leftists and the woke agenda” with the goal of “enabl[ing] all Americans to live in true freedom.”

However, as FEC filings detail, the PAC supports anti-abortion groups and former President Donald Trump (R), who recently stated that he would send the national guard or military on “radical left lunatics,” or what he also termed “the enemy from within.”

Richard Uihlein, and his wife Elizabeth, waited until March to announce their support for Trump’s campaign after supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the Republican primary.

“Everybody likes Trump’s policies,” Liz Uihlein told the Financial Times. “But we have almost 10,000 people that work for us and I would never talk to them the way Trump talks to people.”

Restoration PAC is one in a constellation of groups run by right-wing operative Doug Truax and fueled by Uihlein cash that includes the Foundation for the Restoration of America, the Voter Reference Foundation, and Fair Courts America.

Uihlein also distributes millions through his family foundation to support right-wing litigation centers and far-right advocacy, policy, media, and youth groups. In 2022, the Foundation distributed $5.5 million in grants, according to a grant list first obtained and published by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD).

Uihlein is worth $6 billion, according to Forbes.

$9.8 Million on Three Races

Between July and September, Restoration PAC spent over $7 million in supporting Trump’s third bid for the presidency. In its FEC filing, Restoration discloses spending $7.2 million on TV placements, digital ads, and texts opposing Vice President Kamala Harris (D) and $246,000 on billboards, digital ads and mailers supporting Trump. One of the TV placements blames Harris for “murders, rapes, attacks on children” and calls her “a complete failure at her job.”

Other Restoration digital ads on Facebook question Harris’ support among women, and, if clicked on, send users to kamaladoubts.com to “join women across America and share your doubts about Kamala” on a forum.

Restoration PAC also disclosed spending $2.4 million in the third quarter on TV, radio, and digital ads, and mailers attacking U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME-2nd District). Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball currently rates Golden’s reelection bid as a toss-up.

Golden is being challenged by Austin Theriault (R), a former NASCAR driver and current state representative for the 1st district. One Restoration TV ad paints Golden as anti-gun and claims he received an F from the Gun Owners of Maine.

Restoration also spent $14,000 on TV ads opposing Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin (D) over the same period, the FEC filing shows. Like the ads attacking Harris, Restoration attempts to portray Baldwin as responsible for the death of a father at the hands of an “illegal immigrant” in a TV spot.

Baldwin is facing off against Republican Eric Hovde, a California banker who was born and raised in the Badger state. The October 2 Marquette Law School poll shows Baldwin leading Hovde 53%-46%.

$20.2 Million to Right-Wing PACs and Nonprofits

In addition to the $9.8 million spent on races, Restoration PAC funneled $20.2 million to other PACs and nonprofits in the third quarter, CMD calculated.

Leading all recipients was the Women Speak Out PAC, which received $6.5 million over the three months from Uihlein’s PAC. Restoration is the primary funder of the PAC this election cycle, FEC disclosures show.

Women Speak Out PAC is partnering with the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony (SBA) Pro-Life America to engage “persuadable voters in 8 states this cycle to encourage them to vote for life” so that they can “win back” the Senate and House and “set the stage for electing a pro-life President.”

According to its field team tracker, activists from SBA Pro-Life America and Women Speak Out PAC have made 3.4 million visits to date to voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Restoration PAC’s second largest recipient between July and September was American Principles Project (APP) PAC ($4.8 million). Frank Cannon, a longtime political strategist for SBA, runs the PAC. Like Women Speak Out PAC, APP is almost fully funded by Restoration PAC, FEC filings show.

APP is running hateful anti-transgender ads in Spanish and English attacking Harris and in support of Trump and Hovde.

Restoration PAC added $2.5 million to Turnout for America, a canvassing operation headed up by a close friend of Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance, Christopher Buskirk. “Turnout for America claims to have trained a network of at least 945 canvassers, ‘who are ready for deployment’ in seven battleground states,” The New York Times reported.

More Jobs Less Government (MJLG) received $1 million over the same period from Restoration PAC. MJLG is backing Tim Sheehy (R) in Montana who is in a close race with incumbent Senator Jon Tester (D). Sabato’s Crystal Ball shows the race is leaning towards Sheehy.

MJLG is running ads attacking Tester stating he is “too liberal for Montana.”

Restoration PAC also donated $1 million in the third quarter to the Win It Back PAC. Win It Back PAC is affiliated with Club for Growth and is “dedicated to making sure Republicans win back the Senate and the White House in 2024.”

A review of its TV spots shows it is running ads in Senate or House races for the benefit of GOP candidates in Arizona, California, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Win It Back raised over $30 million between July and September, its latest FEC filing details.

Election Integrity PAC received $917,000 from Restoration PAC in the third quarter. Election Integrity PAC was founded in 2022 by Jennifer Gross, vice president of administration for SBA. Like others above, the PAC is almost entirely funded by Uihlein’s Restoration. The PAC did not spend any money to support candidates for federal office over the same period, but did send $25,000 to the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and spent $190,000 on “non-federal mailers.”

Between July and September, Restoration PAC also contributed $833,000 to the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund. A review of its website shows that the PAC is focused on getting Trump reelected, but a review of its FEC filings shows it has spent less than $19,000 this election cycle to do so.

Over the same period, Restoration PAC gave Americas PAC another $750,000, or 56% of what it raised. Americas PAC targets Hispanic and Black communities with ads “promoting the GOP’s free market principles on suburban and medium sized market radio in purple states.”

Americas PAC latest FEC filing details ad buys in support of Trump and opposing Harris.

Americans for Citizen Voting PAC received $700,000 in the third quarter from Restoration PAC, but did not disclose spending any money over the period in its FEC filing. The Uihlein PAC contribution was all the money it raised over the three months.

Americans for Citizen Voting PAC started running an ad earlier this month trying to mislead viewers into believing that Montana Senator Jon Tester “allows illegal noncitizen voting.”

Uihlein is also funneling money into the right-wing effort to ban noncitizen voting in November by amending the state constitutions in Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin, CMD reported.

Uihlein’s PAC again sent money ($689,000) to the Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA) in the third quarter. RNLA hosts receptions for candidates for U.S. Senate, state supreme court, state attorney general, and other offices as well as election law training sessions, a national policy conference, and a national election law seminar.

RNLA has scheduled “election law” programs in Georgia, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin in the last weeks before November 5.

Restoration PAC funneled $425,000 to the L&C Coalition in the third quarter. The Kentucky-based group has declared support for the reelection of Republicans Sen. Ted Cruz (TX) and Rep. Yvette Herrell (NM District 2), and the election of Senate candidates Dave McCormick (PA), Tim Sheehy (MT), and Sam Brown (NV).

The Coalition also states on its website that it is “committed to sponsor statewide radio ads to stop Amendment 4.” Amendment 4 in Florida would enshrine a woman’s right to an abortion before viability in the state constitution.

Restoration PAC also gave $50,000 to Moms for Liberty Action, another PAC fully funded by Uihlein that is a sister organization of the right-wing, anti-woke group Moms for Liberty.