Nebraska PAC Tied to Hate Group Funded Three Victorious Campaigns
Three Nebraska State Board of Education candidates who enjoyed the support of a political action committee (PAC) tied to the anti-LGBTQ hate group Family Watch International聽(FWI) won their races Tuesday.
Protect Nebraska Children PAC (PNC-PAC), whose treasurer sits on a related nonprofit that works directly with FWI, spent over $38,000 on campaigns for Nebraska鈥檚 statewide school board in 2022, according to the group鈥檚 Nov. 1 filling to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission (NADC). PNC-PAC supported 聽Sherry Jones in District 6, Elizabeth Tegtmeier in District 7 and 聽Kirk Penner in District 5. All voiced opposition to comprehensive sex education and inclusive education, part of a nationwide right-wing movement that has 聽after the 2020 general election.
None of the candidates responded to Hatewatch鈥檚 request for comment.
Nebraska Public Media (NPM) 聽that PNC representatives have been vocal at Nebraska board meetings. They accused teachers and board members of attempting to 鈥済room鈥� and 鈥渋ndoctrinate鈥� students with the aim of making them gay, NPM said.
PNC-PAC did not respond to a request for comment.
Marni Hodgen, a Republican, was the only candidate PNC-PAC supported who lost. Democrat Deborah Neary 聽with 51% of the vote in District 8.
Hodgen did not respond to a request for comment.
PNC-PAC used the campaign funds to both support the aforementioned Republican candidates and oppose their competition. For example, PNC-PAC spent $7,944 on radio ads to oppose Neary, filings show.
The Nebraska State Board of Education has eight members, including the president. The board will choose Nebraska鈥檚 , a position that oversees implementation of state agendas and policies.
Far-right connections
PNC-PAC filed its statement of organization with NADC on Nov. 23, 2021. The document lists Jenna Derr as the treasurer, the only official on PNC-PAC fillings.
PNC-PAC is a separate legal entity from Protect Nebraska Children (PNC). Derr is a member of both.
PNC formed in 2021 as a coalition of parents to 鈥渢o protect the health and innocence of children and the fundamental rights of parents to direct the education, health care and upbringing of their children,鈥� according to a report by the Omaha World-Herald.
The newspaper reported that five of PNC鈥檚 founders met at a Nebraskans for Founders鈥� Values (NFFV) workshop. NFFV is a right-wing Christian organization that advocates for a return to 鈥渃ulture based on Christian principles.鈥�
NFFV caused controversy in 2021 when they included a quote from Nazi leader Adolf Hitler on an anti-comprehensive sex education banner at a local event. After the controversy, NFFV said they took down the banner until they could 鈥減rovide the correct context鈥� and they do not 鈥渋dolize Hitler.鈥�
After PNC formed, they partnered with FWI to handle their money, according to an FWI website and screenshots of Derr鈥檚 social media comments.
FWI hosted a PNC petition to 鈥渟top comprehensive sexual education,鈥� including 鈥渦nscientific gender identity theories.鈥� The petition is part of a larger, U.S.-wide FWI petition initiative.
Hatewatch reviewed screenshots of PNC鈥檚 private Facebook group, which boasts over 22,000 members, wherein Derr claims FWI handles PNC鈥檚 money and pointed members to the PNC petition that FWI hosted. Derr said in a post that 鈥渁ll money donated through the website it [sic] tax deductible and managed by鈥� FWI.
Sue Greenwald, another PNC coalition founder, has appeared publicly with FWI president Sharon Slater.
Hatewatch was unable to locate PNC鈥檚 registration documents. FWI鈥檚 latest public form 990, a filing required of most nonprofit organizations, is from 2020, a year before PNC was formed.
Cash on hand
PNC-PAC鈥檚 NADC filings show that Derr was the first large donor to the PAC. On Jan. 1, she donated $3,000. As of the latest filing, that number increased to $3,750.
Some of the candidates PNC-PAC supported also donated. Filings show Jones contributed $4,000 in 2022, which made her the largest single donor. Penner has two $1,000 donations listed under his name. His business, Penner Patient Care, Inc., also donated $1,000.
Tegtmeier鈥檚 campaign also contributed $1,000. Filings show no donations from Hodgen.
NADC does not require PACs to name individuals who contributed $250 or less. Such contributions accounted for $10,290 of donations to PNC-PAC in 2022.
According to PNC-PAC鈥檚 fillings to NADC, the group still has over $20,000 in cash on hand.
Photo illustration by 澳彩开奖
