By Kaitlin Hoskins, News Editor
A newly formed political action committee is circulating mailers and digital messages targeting Alabama Republican incumbents, including District 10 State Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, just weeks before the GOP primary.
The group, Alabama Values PAC, has distributed materials across multiple districts criticizing lawmakers who supported legislation related to allowing voters to decide on gambling measures in the state. Similar messaging has appeared in multiple races targeting incumbents facing primary challengers supported by the Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA).
ALFA has denied any connection to Alabama Values PAC or involvement in the mailers and digital messages, stating it had no role in the organization’s activities or messaging.
According to filings with the Alabama Secretary of State’s office, Alabama Values PAC was established in March and lists Wisconsin-based political operative Thomas Datwyler as both chair and treasurer. Datwyler is a national campaign consultant who has worked on political operations in multiple states and has been previously linked in public reporting to former U.S. Rep. George Santos during Santos’ time in Congress.
Datwyler has also faced legal and regulatory scrutiny in multiple states in recent years related to his campaign finance work, according to federal court filings and public records. A 2024 U.S. Department of Justice filing alleged he committed wire fraud while serving as a “shadow treasurer” for Santos.
He has also faced state-level investigations in Tennessee (2025), Mississippi (2023) and Minnesota (2022), according to public records and reporting.
Federal Election Commission records show Datwyler has been assessed fines in multiple states tied to campaign finance compliance issues, including $150,000 in Indiana, $11,000 in Georgia, $6,000 in Illinois and $3,300 in Washington in 2023.
Jones responded to the outside spending by describing it as part of a broader effort by political interests he says are targeting his district.
“I’ve never shied away from going toe to toe with Montgomery special interests,” Jones said in a statement. “ALFA wants a puppet to do their bidding in Montgomery, and I’m not their guy.”
Jones also criticized the content of the mailers, calling them misleading and saying additional communications are expected in the weeks leading up to the election.
“Each time a new [mailer] hits, I’ll have more to say about ALFA and what they’ve really been up to in Montgomery,” Jones said. “I don’t think they want the public to know what I’ll be sharing.”
