FILE - The Federal Election Commission emblem is seen at the Federal Election Commission headquarters in Washington, Aug. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A secretive group that recruited retired and disabled supporters of Donald Trump to run as third-party spoiler candidates in some of the nation's most competitive congressional districts was accused of violating campaign finance law in a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday.

The group, the Patriots Run Project, was the subject of a September Associated Press article, which revealed that the group's operatives scouted conservative candidates online, aided their efforts to qualify for the ballot — and spent considerable resources doing so. The AP's story also detailed how little is known about the group — which is not registered as a business, political committee or nonprofit organization — even though some aspects of the operation trace directly back to Democrats.

In its complaint to the FEC, the conservative organization Americans for Public Trust argued that Patriots Run Project's “major purpose” was “influencing federal elections” and the organization thus violated campaign finance law by failing to register as a political committee. That would force the group to file reports that would likely reveal who is managing and financing the operation, as well as the motivation behind it.

The only concrete identifying detail listed on the group’s website is a P.O. Box inside a UPS store in Washington, D.C.

While dirty tricks are as old as American elections, the effort could have profound consequences in the fight to control Congress, which is expected to be decided by a handful of races. For the past year, Patriots Run Project has recruited Trump supporters to run as independent candidates in key swing districts where they could siphon votes from Republicans.

The AP's story about the group provoked a swift reaction from Republicans. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, that the group's ties to Democrats were “extremely concerning” and suggested that it was “evidence of election interference by Democrat operatives.”

Republican incumbents who were the focus of the effort also voiced alarm.

“Democrats know they have nothing to run on, so they've resorted to using shady tactics,” said Rep. Jen Kiggans, a first-term Virginia Republican whose race drew a third-party conservative candidate recruited by Patriots Run Project.

In addition to Kiggans' race in Virginia, Patriots Run Project recruited candidates in Nebraska, Montana, Minnesota and Iowa, though not all ultimately qualified for the ballot. All six recruits described themselves as retired, disabled — or both.

Though little is known about Patriots Run Project, interviews, text messages, emails, business filings and other documents reviewed by the AP show that Democratic consulting firms, including Sole Strategies and Patinkin Research, helped circulate petitions for the candidates or conducted polling.

News from © The Associated Press, 2024