Out-of-state operative tied to attack mailers in Alabama GOP primary

In the closing weeks before Alabama’s Republican primary, a series of attack mailers targeting GOP incumbents has begun appearing in voters’ mailboxes across parts of the state.

Those mail pieces, along with accompanying websites and a text message blast using similar language and allegations, are targeting at least five Republican incumbents, all of whom are also facing primary challengers supported by ALFA. The incumbents—Matt Simpson, Greg Albritton, Andrew Jones, Frances Holk-Jones and Phillip Pettus—all were supportive of legislation that would allow Alabama citizens the opportunity to vote on gambling legislation, which ALFA and other far-right groups opposed.

The attacks are claimed by a newly formed political action committee—Alabama Values PAC—that is registered to a rented mailbox at a UPS Store in Montgomery and lists Thomas Datwyler, a Wisconsin-based political operative, as both chairperson and treasurer. Datwyler has been involved in multiple investigations and enforcement actions by federal and state officials related to campaign finance activity in numerous states, often while serving in compliance or treasurer roles tied to political committees.

ALFA denied having any ties to the PAC or knowledge of the various attack ads, and Terry Waters, who is running against Albritton in state Senate District 22, also denied any knowledge of the PAC’s activity. Because the PAC registered with the Alabama Secretary of State’s office in March and apparently began activities in April, it has not yet filed a monthly campaign finance report and will not be required to do so until early May. That makes it impossible to determine the funding behind the PAC, at least for now.

Coordinated claims across multiple races

The mailers and websites targeting the five incumbents use nearly identical language and structure, and also include false claims and partial information in the attacks. For example, the mailers accuse the candidates of supporting taxpayer-funded college tuition for undocumented immigrants.

An Alabama Values mailer targeting Representative Phillip Pettus.

The legislation in question, however, merely removed the prohibition against undocumented immigrants who graduate from high school and apply for permanent status from being allowed to attend public universities in the state. It offered no taxpayer assistance of any kind.

The website targeting Jones claims he “took control of the Veterans Affairs Board” and now serves on the board with no experience. While Jones led the charge to revamp the VA board, he does not serve on that board.

PAC filing identifies out-of-state leadership

A Statement of Organization filed with the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office shows that Alabama Values PAC was formally established on March 12, 2026, at 6:04 p.m., several weeks before the mailers began appearing in the latter part of April. The filing lists Datwyler as both chairperson and treasurer.

Datwyler is a national campaign finance operative who has worked across multiple states, often in roles tied to compliance, funding structures, and independent political activity. APR has previously reported on his involvement in Alabama, including his role as treasurer of a pro-Moore super PAC during a closely watched 2024 congressional primary that drew national attention and outside spending. He most recently was tied to the short-lived campaign of former University of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron.

In national GOP circles, Datwyler is widely known for his work across numerous political committees. Public records show he has been connected to hundreds of campaigns nationwide, often in compliance-related roles.

In multiple states, entities connected to Datwyler’s work have drawn scrutiny from regulators. A 2024 Department of Justice filing alleged that he acted as a “shadow treasurer” in connection with activity tied to former Congressman George Santos, including allegations related to wire fraud. He has also been the subject of reviews or investigations in states including Tennessee, Mississippi, and Minnesota.

Committees associated with Datwyler’s work—including those for which he served in roles such as treasurer or compliance adviser—have been subject to enforcement actions and civil penalties. These include a $150,000 Federal Election Commission penalty in Indiana, along with smaller penalties in Washington, Illinois, and Georgia in 2023. In several instances, enforcement actions were directed at the committees rather than Datwyler personally, though he served in official capacities connected to those entities.

In response to questions about his past work, a representative for Datwyler disputed aspects of how those matters were characterized.

The representative said that in the Indiana case referenced, Datwyler “served as treasurer at the time the issue was corrected, reviewed, and resolved, not at the time of the underlying activity,” and emphasized that “the civil penalty was levied against the committee, not Mr. Datwyler personally.”

The representative also said that Datwyler “has consistently operated to uphold high professional standards within campaign finance law,” adding that he has “stepped into complex compliance situations to assist campaigns, PACs, parties, and outside groups with legal requirements in an area where regulatory scrutiny is common.”

The work of Alabama Values PAC, while containing inaccuracies or misleading claims in several instances, does not appear at this time to run afoul of Alabama law. There is still time under the law to submit the required filings that will allow voters to see who is funding the activity. To date, no public filings identify the PAC’s funding sources.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to include a response from a representative for Thomas Datwyler and to provide additional context regarding campaign finance enforcement actions referenced in the article.