No Labels — the organization working to get on the ballot in all 50 states for the 2024 presidential election — has filed a formal complaint with the Department of Justice alleging that there may be a racketeering conspiracy afoot to stop it. No Labels leaders are accusing organizations including Third Way and The Lincoln Project of using intimidation, harassment and fear, and are asking the DOJ to open a formal investigation.
“So the conspiracy we have alleged to the Department of Justice today is no less than an attempt to knock the legs out from under American democracy,” retired Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., said.
The letter to the DOJ quotes a recording obtained by the news organization Semafor, in which Third Way co-founder Matt Bennett and others discuss a desire to get No Labels donors to stop donating. Another person in the recording wanted to file a complaint with the IRS hoping to inflict “a huge hit to [No Labels’] entire operation.” No Labels is a non-profit organization.
“I met with a longtime friend of mine who was there to deliver a message from The Lincoln Project that the forces aligned against us would make sure that if I continued with my work, I would never work in politics again, and that we would get it with both barrels,” No Labels co-founder Holly Page said.
No Labels also shared these quotes in video form as evidence of harassment:
“Anybody who participates in this No Labels malarkey should have their lives ruined,” Jonathan Last, from the Bulwark podcast, said. “They should lose whatever jobs they might have.”
“They need to be burned to the f—king ground,” Rick Wilson, of The Lincoln Project, said.
No Labels listed multiple sections of U.S. criminal code it says may have been broken, including:
- 18 U.S. Code § 1951 -Interference with commerce by threats or violence
- 18 U.S. Code § 241 -Conspiracy against rights
- 18 U.S. Code § 601 -Deprivation of employment or other benefit for political contribution
- Voting Rights Act
- National Voter Registration Act
“The alleged conspiracy to stop No Labels is a brazen voter suppression effort,” said Dr. Benjamin Chavis, No Labels national co-chair.
The Justice Department confirmed receipt of the letter to SAN but declined further comment, which is customary for matters that may or may not lead to formal investigations. No Labels said the DOJ said it would be taking the letter under advisement.
No Labels is considering putting forward a unity ticket of one Democrat and one Republican to run against President Joe Biden and the 2024 Republican nominee.
Third Way responded to the allegations in a statement that said, “The No Labels allegations are baseless and frivolous. This letter is an all-too-predictable attempt to distract from the fact that No Labels has no chance of winning. Instead, they have confirmed our warning that they are actually planning to use this doomed third-party effort to force a contingent election. We will continue to make the case publicly and privately that No Labels risks putting Donald Trump back in power if they go forward.”
SAN reached out to The Lincoln Project and has not heard back as of press time.
