Flippo campaign credited donation to woman who appears to have died in 2019, report says

David Flippo, a Republican campaigner for Congress successful Nevada's 2nd district, speaks during a superior predetermination nighttime ticker enactment Tuesday, June 9, 2026, successful Reno. Photo by: William Hale Irwin / AP

The run of Republican legislature campaigner David Flippo credited a $143.56 publication to a pistillate who appears to person died successful 2019, The Washington Sun reported Thursday, raising a caller question astir the Nevadan’s finances conscionable days earlier Election Day.

The campaign’s latest filing with the Federal Election Commission lists Nevada nonmigratory Val Sheldon arsenic the donor connected Oct. 13. The lone pistillate matching the accusation successful the filing died successful 2019, according to obituaries from that clip that the Washington Sun reviewed.

The run took the $143.56 from a $3,643.56 publication it had credited to different Nevada resident, Bret Sheldon, and reattributed it to Val Sheldon, the Washington Sun reported. Bret Sheldon told the outlet helium learned of the alteration lone erstwhile a newsman contacted him Tuesday. He said his sister-in-law was Val Sheldon and that helium knew nary 1 other by that name.

Bret Sheldon said helium gave $3,500 aft Flippo contacted him a fewer weeks ago, and helium paid the $143.56 processing interest done WinRed, a fundraising level the Republican Party uses. He besides said the run did not interaction him oregon get his written consent earlier reattributing the money, which FEC guidelines require, the Washington Sun reported.

Federal instrumentality mostly bars contributions from dormant radical unless they arranged bequests done their estates earlier dying. That does not look to use here, the outlet reported.

Campaign treasurer Thomas Datwyler told the Washington Sun helium was looking into the matter. In a statement, helium said “the wide media is astatine it again” and noted that the run had received much than 5,500 idiosyncratic contributions. The run did not reply questions oregon supply documentation showing it had written confirmation from either Sheldon, and it did not accidental however it archetypal identified Val Sheldon, the outlet reported.

The Wall Street Journal reported this month that the run accepted $7,000 from Marilynn Mack, treble the $3,500 per-election bounds for idiosyncratic donors, and reattributed $3,500 to her mother, Joyce Mack, a Las Vegas philanthropist who died Oct. 11, 2024, astatine 99. Campaign spokesperson Rory McShane told the Journal the attribution was a clerical error. The run past amended the filing again, splitting the $7,000 evenly betwixt superior indebtedness and the wide election.

Flippo, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and fiscal advisor who has ne'er held elected office, faces Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson, a erstwhile Nevada Assembly bulk leader, successful the contention to win retiring Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev. Flippo won the Republican superior June 9 aft President Donald Trump endorsed him May 29.

Republicans person held Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District since it was created aft the 1980 census, and Trump won it by 14 points successful 2024. The contention has nevertheless drawn attraction arsenic unexpectedly competitive. Benitez-Thompson, successful a connection to the Washington Sun, said Northern Nevadans merit amended and criticized Flippo implicit his subject record, idiosyncratic finances and donors.

The donation questions travel different scrutiny of Flippo. The Washington Post reported Sept. 24 that helium falsely claimed connected aggregate occasions that helium received a Bronze Star “for valor.” His 2004 Bronze Star did not transportation the valor distinction. Flippo apologized successful precocious September astatine a quality league successful Reno and blamed run staffers for mixing up his awards, according to the Journal.

Mother Jones reported Tuesday that records it obtained amusement Flippo’s erstwhile employer, First Command, opened an interior reappraisal Nov. 12, 2024, aft helium was accused of “willful misrepresentations and/or omissions of worldly fact.” The records authorities the institution fired him astir a week aft its probe concluded. Flippo has downplayed the firing, and his run did not respond to Mother Jones’ petition for remark connected the records. The run has said his fiscal licenses stay successful bully standing.

Flippo, who has loaned his run much than $1.8 million, missed the May 15 deadline to record a idiosyncratic fiscal disclosure, the Washington Sun reported. He gave The Nevada Independent a handwritten transcript successful September, but arsenic of Thursday the papers did not look connected the House Clerk’s website.

Amodei, who has said helium did not ballot for Flippo, has called him a “fraud.” He told the Washington Sun helium considers Flippo a flawed campaigner and questioned the vetting Flippo received earlier winning the nomination.

Early voting successful Nevada ended Friday, and Election Day is Tuesday.