- The group also contributed to the legal and ethical travails that forced his resignation.
What's new: In late May, two days after Greitens officially entered the Senate race, SEALs for Truth filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission signaling it was kicking back into gear.
- The super PAC had been largely inactive since Greitens' election in 2016. It tried four times last year to terminate its FEC registration but the commission rejected each effort.
- A source familiar with the situation told Axios the termination was denied because of an ongoing FEC review of allegations it illegally hid the sources of $2 million in contributions to Greitens' gubernatorial campaign.
Background The $2 million that SEALs for Truth donated to Greitens' 2016 campaign came entirely from a nonprofit that, in turn, had links to Greitens' staffers and consultants.
- The donation was the largest political contribution in Missouri history, and ethics groups have since alleged it was designed to hide the sources of funds for Greitens' campaign.
- It followed discussions among the Greitens team — later unearthed by the Missouri Ethics Commission — about using nonprofit "dark money" groups to keep the identities of large campaign donors secret.
- Missouri officials determined that Greitens' campaign had illegally used nonprofits to boost his gubernatorial campaign. Greitens himself was cleared of wrongdoing.
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a left-leaning nonprofit, filed a complaint with the FEC alleging the SEALs for Truth scheme violated federal election laws. It later sued the FEC to compel an investigation. The case is ongoing.
Between the lines: SEALs for Truth hasn't reported any expenditures in the Missouri Senate race. And it hasn't reported any significant income since the $2 million donation it immediately funneled to Greitens in 2016.
- Emails to and phone messages left with the contact information on file with the FEC were not returned.
- A Greitens campaign spokesperson told Axios, "We have no knowledge of any updates involving this group or their plans, nor have we had any contact with this group."
Be smart: Unlike in 2016, when Greitens' campaign was bound by state instead of federal laws, SEALs for Truth won't be able to donate directly to his 2022 effort.
- Federal law, unlike the Missouri statute, prohibits a super PAC from donating directly to candidates or coordinating with their campaigns.
- SEALs for Trump can raise and spend unlimited sums on Greitens' behalf, though.
