Veterans for Responsible Leadership (VFRL) is a Hybrid PAC that supports candidates at all levels of government who are committed to principled leadership. These principles include civility, service to the American people, integrity, optimism, and strength. ¹ Veterans for Responsible Leadership has consistently contributed to campaigns supporting Democrats.  While VFRL has contributed both for and against Republican candidates, it has consistently spent money against former President Donald Trump.²

In the 2024 presidential election, Veterans for Responsible Leadership ran advertising campaigns opposing Republican candidate Donald Trump and supporting Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. ³

Activities

Veterans for Responsible Leadership operates on pillars which guide its actions in supporting the ideal American government. These pillars include expanding and strengthening civic engagement among citizens, holding both elected and non-elected public officials accountable to working within the framework of the Constitution, protecting the integrity of U.S. elections, protecting U.S. national defense as a nonpartisan public good, and expanding public service opportunities. ⁴

Veterans for Responsible Leadership ran two campaigns against former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. As part of its “Trump Dishonors Us” campaign, VFRL called attention to Trump’s alleged use of the words “suckers” and “losers” when referring to service members and those who have died while serving, respectively. VFRL asked veterans to get involved with this campaign by speaking up against Trump by creating and posting videos to social media using the tags #NotASucker or #TrumpDishonorsUS. ⁵

Veterans for Responsible Leadership’s “Putin Won’t Stop” campaign claimed that Trump, if elected, would allow Putin to do “whatever the hell he wants.” The campaign further claimed that Trump empowers tyrants and admires authoritarian strongmen, and promoted Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming she stands up to tyrants, defends democracy and U.S. allies, and ultimately would create a safer world. ³

Spending

In the 2024 election cycle, Veterans for Responsible Leadership spent $343,772 opposing Republican Donald Trump and $74,187 supporting Democrats Kamala Harris, Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), and Rep. Christopher Deluzio (D-PA). ²

In the 2022 election cycle and the early 2021 Georgia Senate runoff elections, VFRL spent $45,212 against Republicans Jen Kiggans (R-VA), former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), and former Sen. David Perdue (R-GA). It spent $21,592 supporting Texas Republican Michael Wood. VFRL spent $10,910 supporting Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA). ⁶

In the 2020 election cycle, VFRL spent $202,859 against Republicans Donald Trump and then-Sens. Loeffler and Perdue, and $110,426 for Democrats Joe Biden, Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA). ⁷

In the 2018 election cycle, VFRL spent $10,000 for North Carolina Democrat Dan McCready. ⁸

Funding

Veterans for Responsible Leadership is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. Between January 1, 2023 and October 16, 2024, Veterans for Responsible Leadership raised over $1.27 million. While VFRL does not disclose its donors, filings from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) confirm donations from organizations like the liberal political action committee Lincoln Project ($395,000 between 2020 and 2024), the St. Crispin Center for Information Studies ($201,300 in 2024), and Defending Democracy Together ($20,000 in 2021). ⁹

Leadership

Daniel Barkhuff is the president and treasurer of Veterans for Responsible Leadership. Barkhuff is a former active-duty member of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command and is currently a faculty member and emergency medicine doctor at the University of Vermont. ¹⁰

1. “Home.” Veterans for Responsible Leadership. Accessed November 3, 2024. https://www.vfrl.org/.
2. “Veterans for Responsible Leadership Independent Expenditures.” OpenSecrets. Accessed November 2, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/veterans-for-responsible-leadership/C00648808/independent-expenditures/2024.
3. “Putin Won’t Stop.” Veterans for Responsible Leadership. Accessed November 3, 2024. https://www.vfrl.org/putinwontstop.
4. “Pillars of Action.” Veterans for Responsible Leadership. Accessed November 3, 2024. https://www.vfrl.org/items/pillars-of-action-.
5. “Not A Sucker.” Veterans for Responsible Leadership. Accessed November 3, 2024. https://www.vfrl.org/notasucker.
6. “Veterans for Responsible Leadership Independent Expenditures.” OpenSecrets. Accessed November 2, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/veterans-for-responsible-leadership/C00648808/independent-expenditures/2022.
7. “Veterans for Responsible Leadership Independent Expenditures.” OpenSecrets. Accessed November 2, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/veterans-for-responsible-leadership/C00648808/independent-expenditures/2020.
8. “Veterans for Responsible Leadership Independent Expenditures.” OpenSecrets. Accessed November 2, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/veterans-for-responsible-leadership/C00648808/independent-expenditures/2018.
9. “Veterans for Responsible Leadership: Raising.” Federal Election Commission. Accessed November 2, 2024. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00648808/?cycle=2024&tab=raising.
10. “Daniel Barkhuff.” Daily Beast. Accessed November 2, 2024. https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/daniel-barkhuff/.