Blackburn backer seeks investigation into dark-money ads against gubernatorial candidate

A surrogate for Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn has filed a sworn complaint with the state’s campaign finance watchdog seeking an investigation into a dark-money group running TV ads calling the U.S. senator “queen pharma mama.”

Chip Buck of Pall Mall in Fentress County claims the American Exceptionalism Institute, a nonprofit group that has been running ads critical of Blackburn since around June 10, failed to file reports with the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance, as required by state law. 

The complaint, submitted on July 28, says organizations with a 501(c)(4) federal tax designation are required to report expenses and certify the identity of the person controlling the expenditures of at least $5,000 that contain the name or likeness of a candidate within 60 days of a primary or general election.

“There is substantial reason to believe that Respondent has far exceeded the statutory $5,000 expenditure threshold,” Buck says in the filing. He provided an attachment estimating the broadcast of advertisements in the Nashville television market and other major cities across the state cost more than $463,000.

Blackburn goes after dark-money group calling her ‘queen pharma mama’

Reached for comment Wednesday by a Lookout reporter, Buck said he isn’t connected with the Blackburn campaign. But after confirming that he was speaking with a reporter, he said, “I’m not interested in talking, but thank you.”

Buck’s Facebook page contains photos of him and his wife with Blackburn at a campaign event where he is wearing one of her stickers. Buck also said on his Facebook page he loved speaking on behalf of his “favorite candidate” for governor during a Cumberland County Republican Women candidate forum.

The American Exceptionalism Institute has been running ads opposing Blackburn since June, but the recent one referring to her pharmaceutical campaign donations started appearing in the last two weeks. 

Buck’s complaint was notarized on July 10 but wasn’t filed until more than two weeks later.

The advertisement refers to reports about a 2016 law co-sponsored by Blackburn — but reportedly written by a pharmaceutical industry lobbyist — that made it more difficult for DEA agents to intercept large drug shipments, causing small communities to be flooded with opioids in a national drug epidemic.

The Washington Post and “60 Minutes” reported that a whistleblower said he warned Blackburn’s staff that the bill could cause problems. Ultimately, her staff said she would work to end “unintended consequences.” A member of the House at the time, Blackburn accepted some $120,000 in campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry as it poured $100 million into lobbying to push the measure to passage, according to a WPLN report.

Blackburn has long been considered the favorite in the gubernatorial race to replace term-limited Gov. Bill Lee. But in the final weeks, the race has turned slightly more contentious as a group backing her has attacked her main challenger, U.S. Rep. John Rose. 

Kent Syler, a political science professor at Middle Tennessee State University, said that by challenging the ad the campaign “risks bringing more attention to it.”

“It’s a calculated decision,” Syler said. “If she can get it off the air, that would be something she could use to her advantage.”

What does the complaint say

In his complaint, Buck requests the Registry investigate the institute to determine whether it violated state law.

The Lookout obtained the filing two days after Blackburn’s attorney sent a letter to the American Exceptionalism Institute demanding that it stop running ads calling her “queen pharma mama” and inferring that she took money to pass a federal pharmaceutical law.

Attorneys for Blackburn and her gubernatorial campaign said in the letter that the ad targets a sitting U.S. senator with “knowingly false and defamatory accusations of bribery and corruption.” They called it “misleading” and a “calculated attempt to deceive viewers by accusing Senator Blackburn of quid pro quo without a shred of factual support.”

The Lookout has been unable to contact officers for the American Exceptionalism Institute, an Alexanderia, Virginia-based organization that has run at least two sets of commercials critical of Blackburn.

The group also doesn’t appear to have any filings declaring its spending in the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance campaign finance database.

Blackburn campaign spokesperson Abbi Sigler said in a Tuesday email that Comcast and Viamedia had pulled the pharmaceutical-related political ad.

The complaint