Pennsylvania Values, also known as PA Values, is a super PAC operating in Pennsylvania that spends money to run independent expenditure ads supporting Democratic federal candidates in Pennsylvania. The PAC was most active in the 2018 election cycle when it spent $1.1 million in attack ads against then-U.S. Representative Lou Barletta (R-PA) in his challenge to incumbent U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). In 2024, the PAC drew cross-partisan criticism for running an ad urging “MAGA PATRIOTS” to “stand strong WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP” against mail-in voting. Both the Trump campaign and a left-of-center law professor writing for Slate accused the PAC of election interference and voter suppression. ^{1 2}

PA Values has been funded by a variety of labor union groups, particularly construction unions, and received $50,000 from the Global Impact Social Welfare Fund in 2024, its only 2024 fundraising as of August 2024. ³

Background

PA Values was formed as a super PAC in 2017 and was first active in the 2018 election cycle. In 2018, the PAC ran attack ads targeting then-U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), who was the Republican nominee challenging incumbent Senator Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA). The PAC spent $1.15 million against Barletta in 2018, which was the entirety of the group’s spending during the election cycle. ⁴

PA Values also received $100,000 from Ross Feller Casey, the personal injury law firm where Senator Bob Casey’s brother Matt Casey is a named partner. The firm has funded Casey’s campaigns through a variety of channels, and a partner the firm was appointed by Casey to vet judicial nominees. ⁵

In 2018, funders of PA Values included the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Operating Engineers Union, Working for Working Americans, Communications Workers of America Working Voices, UFCW 1776, the Bricklayers Union, and Wynnewood Advisors. ⁶

In the 2020 election cycle, the PAC spent $285,000 running attack ads against then-President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in Pennsylvania. The PAC was funded by many union groups in 2020, including Operating Engineers Local 66, Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 19, the Erie Community Foundation, and others that had also funded the group in 2018. ⁷

In 2022 the PAC spent $287,000 opposing Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz. ⁸

Controversies

In 2024, PA Values received cross-partisan criticism for running an ad urging “MAGA PATRIOTS” to “stand strong WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP” against mail-in voting. Global Impact Social Welfare Fund, an obscure left-of-center dark money group, gave $50,000 to PA Values on June 14 and the PAC ran the ad two days later, paying $48,000 for it. A right-leaning publication noted that “Trump was skeptical of mail-in and absentee voting in the 2020 election, but has since encouraged supporters to vote by those methods in order to ‘beat the Democrats.’” ^{9 10}

The Trump campaign accused PA Values of election interference over the advertisement and called for law enforcement to investigate the matter. Left-leaning law professor Richard Hasen called the ad “borderline criminal” and criticized PA Values for its “trickery and voter suppression” in an article for Slate. ^{11 12}

1. Hansen, Richard. “A Democratic Super PAC’s New Trump Ad Might Be Borderline Criminal.” Slate. June 26, 2024. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/06/democrats-super-pac-trump-ad-criminal-2024-voting.html
2. “PA Values Summary: 2018.” OpenSecrets. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2018?cmte=C00631903&tab=summary
3. Ross, Chuck. “Liberal Dark Money Group Claiming To Protect ‘Voter Rights’ Funded Deceptive Ad Campaign Meant To Suppress GOP Votes.” Free Beacon. July 17, 2024. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/liberal-dark-money-group-claiming-to-protect-voter-rights-funded-deceptive-ad-campaign-meant-to-suppress-gop-votes/
4. “PA Values Summary: 2018.” OpenSecrets. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2018?cmte=C00631903&tab=summary
5. Christenson, Josh. “Sen. Bob Casey campaign took $220K from bro’s law firm, with partner vetting judicial picks” New York Post. August 20, 2023. Accessed July 31, 2024. https://nypost.com/2023/08/20/sen-caseys-campaign-took-220k-from-brothers-law-firm-had-partner-pick-judicial-noms/
6. “PA Values Donors: 2018.” OpenSecrets. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2018?cmte=C00631903&tab=donors
7. “PA Values Summary: 2020.” OpenSecrets. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2020?cmte=C00631903&tab=donors
8. “PA Values Targeted Candidates: 2022.” OpenSecrets. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2022?cmte=C00631903&tab=targeted_candidates
9. Ross, Chuck. “Liberal Dark Money Group Claiming To Protect ‘Voter Rights’ Funded Deceptive Ad Campaign Meant To Suppress GOP Votes.” Free Beacon. July 17, 2024. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/liberal-dark-money-group-claiming-to-protect-voter-rights-funded-deceptive-ad-campaign-meant-to-suppress-gop-votes/
10. “Filing FEC-1801787.” Federal Election Commission. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00631903/1801787/se
11. Hasen, Richard. “A Democratic Super PAC’s New Trump Ad Might Be Borderline Criminal.” Slate. June 26, 2024. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/06/democrats-super-pac-trump-ad-criminal-2024-voting.html
12. David Warrington to Maria Galdo, June 25, 2024. Accessed July 31, 2024.  https://cdn.nucleusfiles.com/f8/f84e409a-6e48-455a-8673-264f428dadb4/20240625_pa-values.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=ncl_amplify&utm_campaign=240625-trump_campaign_cites_possible_criminal_election_interference_by_biden_aligned_pennsylvania_values_pac_demands_immediate_end_to_this_false_advertising&utm_content=ncl-tuEGBqc7mT&_nlid=tuEGBqc7mT&_nhids=6MvYIGbz