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 led by Thomas Datwyler, a Wisconsin-based operative who has been tied to disgraced former congressman George Santos and who has been investigated and fined by federal and state officials for playing fast and loose with campaign finance laws in numerous states.
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.
The statement of organization of the Alabama Values PAC.
In national GOP circles, though, Datwyler is very well known. Earlier this year, he was tied to at least 380 campaigns across the country serving some of the Republican Party’s most recognizable national figures. He is also perhaps the party’s most investigated consultant.
In state after state, Datwyler has drawn scrutiny for what law enforcement officials have described as illegal campaign finance dealings. A 2024 Department of Justice filing accused him of committing wire fraud while serving as a “shadow treasurer” for George Santos. He was accused of illegal activity by federal and state officials in Tennessee last year. He was investigated in Mississippi in 2023 and in Minnesota in 2022.
He was fined $150,000 by the Federal Elections Commission for issues in Indiana; another $3,300 for problems in Washington; another $6,000 for problems in Illinois; and he was hit with $11,000 in fines in Georgia—all in 2023.
The work of Alabama Values PAC, while questionable and bordering on inaccurate in several instances, doesn’t appear to run afoul of Alabama law to this point. There is still time under the law to submit the required filings that allow voters to see who is funding the activity.
