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Bombshell reports this week from the Des Moines Register and Politico outline how Zach Nunn and RFK Jr. worked to pressure a Libertarian candidate to drop out of the Iowa’s Third District race – before Nunn’s campaign consultant and official office Deputy Chief of Staff directly filed a challenge to kick the candidate off the ballot.
Reporting found that Nunn and his campaign consultant, Annie Kuhle, visited the Libertarian candidate Marco Battaglia at his home – “where Nunn and Kuhle asked him to drop out of the race.” Nunn allegedly “offered [Battaglia] a deal,” including to “fly [him] out to D.C.” where he could “be [Nunn’s] wing man” and “hang out with Robert Kennedy Jr.”
The next day, RFK Jr. called. Politico reports that “Battaglia shared screenshots of his call log with POLITICO that show an incoming call from a phone number Kennedy has previously used.”
Then, Kuhle and Nunn’s Deputy Chief of Staff Wes Enos filed a challenge to Battaglia’s signatures.
Read more:
Des Moines Register: Libertarian says Zach Nunn, RFK Jr. pushed him to exit US House race
- Battaglia told the Register Nunn and Annie Kuhle, a Republican strategist and adviser to Nunn’s campaign, reached out to him to ask him to meet. Battaglia said he invited Nunn to join him at his house, where Nunn and Kuhle asked him to drop out of the race.
- “We had a really good conversation. I talked about how we should have debates, forums, town halls in every county in the district,” Battaglia said. “And he countered that with, ‘I think you should drop out.'”
- Kuhle and Wes Enos, the deputy chief of staff in Nunn’s congressional office, filed two challenges against Battaglia’s candidacy…
- Battaglia said he followed up with a text message telling [Robert Kennedy Jr.] he wouldn’t be dropping out of the race.
- The national Libertarian Party put out a statement accusing Republicans of “an escalating campaign of intimidation” they said was designed to force qualified candidates off the ballot.
Politico: RFK Jr. urged Iowa Libertarian to drop out of battleground House race, challenger claims
- A Libertarian challenger in a top Iowa battleground says Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the district’s current representative, GOP Rep. Zach Nunn, privately pressured him to drop out.
- Battaglia said Nunn visited his home on June 7 to convince him to exit the race. Then, a day later, came a call from Washington — and Kennedy, allegedly, was on the other line. Battaglia said Kennedy told him that it would be a direct blow to Kennedy, personally, if Republicans lost the seat.
- Battaglia shared screenshots of his call log with POLITICO that show an incoming call from a phone number Kennedy has previously used. The call arrived at 12:44 p.m. central and lasted nearly 12 minutes. POLITICO also reviewed screenshots of text messages Battaglia later sent to the number associated with Kennedy, which did not garner responses.
- Nunn’s campaign did not dispute that he visited Battaglia’s home…
- Battaglia says Nunn, during his June 7 visit to his home, offered him a deal and referenced the HHS secretary: “We’ll fly you out to D.C. and you can be my wing man,” Nunn allegedly said, per Battaglia’s recollection. “We’ll make you the poster boy for election integrity, and we’ll hang out with Robert Kennedy Jr.”
Iowa’s News Now: Iowa Libertarian says Republicans urged him to drop out of race
- Battaglia said U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urged him to drop out of the race before the challenges to his nomination papers.
- “He was very nice,” Battaglia said of his conversation with RFK Jr. “He leaned on me slightly to, is how I would put it, to like drop out. He said it would make his life hell if I, if the House flipped.”
- Battaglia said Nunn and GOP campaign strategist Annie Kuhle came to his house… “They basically asked me to withdraw from the race,” Battaglia said.
- Battaglia believes the meeting was an intimidation tactic.
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