The American Exceptionalism Institute (AEI), the dark money group currently spending more than $1 million to defeat U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in the Republican gubernatorial primary, is connected through tax, business, and campaign paperwork to at least three other political action committees (PACs) that have operated in Tennessee since 2024, which seem to all share connection to Missouri-based political strategist Jeff Roe, or his company, Axiom Strategies.
For example, tax records from 2023 show AEI contributed $3.25 million to the American Policy Coalition (APC). That year, APC sent $95,000 to the East Tennessee Conservatives, which Tennessee campaign records show heavily supported the campaign of State Senator Bobby Harshbarger (R-Sullivan County).
Public reporting shows that Wisconsin-based political operative Thomas Datwyler was the treasurer for both East Tennessee Conservatives and Great American Coalition, which provided an additional $526,000 in funding to East Tennessee Conservatives.
In addition to his many campaign finance positions, Datwyler is the CEO of AxCapital, part of the Axiom Strategies political consulting organization created by consultant Jeff Roe.
Over the course of the election, state campaign reports show East Tennessee Conservatives spent more than $591,000 to support Bobby Harshbarger, including $243,585 spent directly with Axiom Strategies.
Of the total spending by East Tennessee Conservatives, an additional $300,000 was directed to Armada Strategies. Reporting in 2021 determined AxMedia senior media buyer Sarah Blue was the point of contact for Armada.
In 2024, it was also revealed AEI chairman Wayne Ducote was the contact for the Heartland Conservative Coalition, whose media buyer was Armada, during the Missouri gubernatorial primary. Ducote was named in the legal demand letter Blackburn sent AEI last week over its advertisement that appeared to allege she engaged in public corruption with an opioid manufacturer.
An additional $18,830 was spent with Vanguard Field Strategies, which has operated “under the Axiom Strategies label” since 2014. Another $15,000 was spent with the Axiom-founded Remington Research Group.
About $13,787 was also paid to CVIC, which the Tennessee Attorney General previously connected to Axiom’s network, after State Senator Ken Yager (R-Kingston) submitted a complaint alleging possible coordination during Bobby Harshbarger’s campaign.
U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), the mother of Bobby Harshbarger, is notably a client of Axiom. Her campaign filings show payments to Axiom, as well as AxCapital and AxMedia. Datwyler is also the campaign treasurer for Diana Harshbarger.
Another client of the Axiom network in Tennessee is U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), who also used Datwyler as his campaign treasurer. Past clients include Representative John Rose (R-TN-06), who is also running for governor, and Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03).
Past politicians who worked with Roe or the Axiom network include former U.S. Representatives Diane Black and Stephen Fincher.
Similar financial moves occurred in a Sullivan County race earlier this year.
The same tax document covering activity from 2023 shows AEI provided a $500,000 grant to Safe Streets Safe Communities, another 501 (c) (4) nonprofit. In July, a campaign report revealed Safe Streets Safe Communities directed $50,000 to the Sullivan County First PAC and $116,000 to the Tennessee Stand PAC. An additional campaign document, submitted by Sullivan County First PAC last month, shows it received $118,000 directly from AEI.
These PACs participated in the Republican mayoral primary in Sullivan County, supporting of Angie Stanley over Zane Vanover, and negative mailers sent by the organizations led Kingsport Times News to connect them to Roe’s network.
When Diana Harshbarger endorsed Stanley in the race, voters were reportedly informed through a text message sent by “Tennessee Stands,” which was apparently linked to the Tennessee Stand PAC. This PAC was not affiliated with Tennessee Stands, which was founded by Gary Humble, and submitted a complaint over the group’s name.
Stanley’s campaign ultimately reported $96,511 in payments to Axiom Strategies, Ax Media, and Axiom Media, while Sullivan County First reported $105,000 in payments to Armada Strategies.
In its reporting earlier this year, Kingsport Times News additionally reported that postage markings on the PACs’ campaign mail were from Core Insight. The company’s postage markings were reportedly also associated with Diana Harshbarger’s campaign, Stanley’s earlier mayoral campaign, and the East Tennessee Conservatives’ mailers sent in 2024.
Corporate filings in Missouri show Core Insight was established as a fictitious entity name associated with Command LLC. Missouri’s filings for Command LLC include a document notifying the state of a change in registered agent, which was signed by Roe. Additional state documents show Roe’s Axiom Strategies and Command LLC now share the same registered agent.
While this political network’s effects may have helped propel Bobby Harshbarger to victory in his 2024 election to the Tennessee State Senate, the group’s efforts were less successful in the Sullivan County race. Vanover ultimately won the Republican primary in May.
In total, the public records reveal the organization now spending to defeat Blackburn has direct or indirect financial relationships with groups that funded PACs active in Harshbarger-aligned races in Tennessee, with several of those operations using the same Axiom-connected consultant and vendor network.
Diana Harshbarger has not endorsed a candidate in the Republican Party gubernatorial primary in Tennessee, while Bobby Harshbarger last month explicitly said he intended to remain neutral.
“I’m trying to stay as neutral as I can,” said Bobby Harshbarger last month, according to WHJL. “We’ve got three Republican candidates that are quality. So I don’t want my position to skew anybody’s vote or change their mind because I think it comes back to the individual.”
U.S. Representatives Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) and David Kustoff (R-TN-08) are also politically neutral for the gubernatorial race. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), too, has appeared to have stayed on the sidelines with no endorsement. Representatives Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), Matt Van Epps (R-TN-07), and Fleischmann, as well as Senator Bill Hagerty, have all endorsed Blackburn.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Marsha Blackburn” by Marsha Blackburn.
