Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick is facing mounting scrutiny in the closing weeks before election day.
New reporting from local NPR affiliate WHYY is the latest to detail how “attack ads from U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s reelection campaign cite articles written by a self-described far-right writer with longstanding ties to the congressman and a federal conviction for trafficking protected turtles.”
The report comes after POLITICO, The Bulwark, and other outlets detailed how Fitzpatrick is using fake citations in his attack ads that are written by a convicted felon, racist, and longtime friend who he has directly paid. Fitzpatrick has refused to comment on the reports.
Bucks and Montgomery County voters deserve to know: Why has Fitzpatrick paid a federally convicted felon, and why is Fitzpatrick using the felon’s fake articles in his attack ads?
DCCC Spokesperson Eli Cousin:
“Brian Fitzpatrick owes Bucks and Montgomery County voters answers. Fitzpatrick refuses to explain why he paid a federally convicted felon, or why he appears to have coordinated with a felon on his false attack ads. It’s clear that spending nearly a decade in Washington has changed Fitzpatrick and he has completely lost his way.”
Read key excerpts from the reporting from WHYY for yourself:
WHYY: A curious source for U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s attack ads: A convicted turtle trafficker
By Andrew McGurl | October 15, 2026
- Attack ads from U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s reelection campaign cite articles written by a self-described far-right writer with longstanding ties to the congressman and a federal conviction for trafficking protected turtles.
- Fitzpatrick’s recent spate of attack ads cites eight anti-Harvie articles attributed to Dave Sommers. Published on Patch, a local news website that allows contributions from community members, these posts criticize Harvie and make numerous allegations without citing supporting evidence.
- Most of Sommers’ articles read like posts on X; they rarely exceed 50 words, offer no evidence and are generally statements of opinion.
- Despite attracting little apparent engagement on Patch or on social media, the posts have found a much larger platform in Fitzpatrick’s campaign advertising.
- Public financial connections between Sommers and the congressional campaigns of Fitzpatrick and his late brother, Mike, date back to 2010 […] After Brian Fitzpatrick assumed his brother’s seat, his campaign subsequently reported paying Sommers over $2,700 between 2016 and 2022 for office setup and other services.
- The connections extend beyond campaign finances. In June, Sommers attended Fitzpatrick’s wedding, posting photos of himself with Fitzpatrick’s new wife, Fox News White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, and former U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, of West Virginia, who endorsed Fitzpatrick on Wednesday.
- Sommers is one of 141 accounts Fitzpatrick follows on his congressional Instagram account.
- In 2019, Sommers was convicted of trafficking a protected turtle species, the diamondback terrapin, according to a Department of Justice press release. Over six years, Sommers poached and sold thousands of turtles he’d taken from marshlands in New Jersey, the release said.
- He was sentenced to six months in prison. The court also handed Sommers three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $250,000 in restitution to New Jersey’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the release.
- Neither Fitzpatrick nor Sommers responded to multiple requests for comment.
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