National Republicans funding super PAC promoting Deberry in Democratic primary for AG

A mysterious new super PAC that has spent close to a million dollars promoting Satana Deberry in the Democratic primary for state attorney general is being funded by the Republican Attorneys General Association, new election filings show.

The group, And Justice For All, started buying TV, radio and digital ads last month in support of Deberry, the Durham County District Attorney who is running against U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson of Charlotte and Fayetteville attorney Tim Dunn in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Details initially available about the super PAC’s expenditures, such as the bank and media buyer it was using, showed ties to groups typically used by Republicans. But not much else was known about the group or who was behind it.

But the group’s first filing with the N.C. State Board of Elections, now available on the board’s website, shows that And Justice For All received $1 million from RAGA on Feb. 7, a day after it registered with the Federal Election Commission. The super PAC reported receiving no other contributions or donations.

As of Feb. 29, the group had spent more than $950,000 on TV and radio ads, digital ads, mailers, and text messages in support of Deberry.

The ads promote Deberry’s liberal record and suggest she’s the “real progressive” in the race, according to Charlotte radio station WFAE.

Jackson has raised nearly $3 million since he launched his campaign in October, leading U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop, the only Republican candidate. He has slammed the spending by the PAC, about which little was known earlier, as an effort to interfere in the Democratic primary.

In a statement to The News & Observer on Saturday, Jackson said: “The Republican Attorneys General Association is spending $1 million dollars in a mass deception effort because they know we have the campaign to beat Dan Bishop in November.”

A spokesperson for RAGA did not respond to a request for comment late Saturday.

Deberry, who has said her campaign has nothing to do with the super PAC’s spending, told The N&O she doesn’t care “what big money wants in this race,” and only cares about “what regular people need from their Attorney General.”

“Too often our system focuses on money over people. That’s not who I will be as AG,” Deberry said in a statement. “My qualifications, my character, and my integrity stand on their own, and are the reasons North Carolinians will elect me. That said, there is nothing deceptive about the fact that I am the most qualified candidate in this race.”