Flippo Campaign Credits 2026 Donation to Deceased Woman

HENDERSON, Nev. The campaign of Republican congressional candidate David Flippo credited a $143.56 contribution to a woman who appears to have died in 2019, according to a report released Thursday. The filing, submitted to the Federal Election Commission, lists Val Sheldon as the donor for a transaction dated Oct. 13. Obituaries reviewed by The Washington Sun indicate that the only woman matching the filing’s details passed away in 2019.

The campaign originally credited the full amount to Bret Sheldon, a Nevada resident, but later reattributed the $143.56 processing fee to his sister-in-law, Val Sheldon. Bret Sheldon told the outlet he learned of the change when a reporter contacted him Tuesday. He stated that he gave $3,500 after Flippo reached out a few weeks prior and paid the fee through WinRed, a fundraising platform used by the Republican Party. Sheldon said the campaign did not contact him or obtain his written consent before making the reattribution, a step required by FEC guidelines.

Federal law generally prohibits contributions from deceased individuals unless they arranged bequests through their estates before dying. The campaign treasurer, Thomas Datwyler, said he was looking into the matter. In a statement, Datwyler noted that the campaign had received more than 5,500 individual contributions and said, “the liberal media is at it again.” The campaign did not provide documentation showing written confirmation from either Sheldon or explain how it first identified Val Sheldon.

This issue follows other scrutiny of Flippo’s fundraising. The Wall Street Journal reported this month that the campaign accepted $7,000 from Marilynn Mack, double the $3,500 per-election limit for individual donors. The campaign reattributed $3,500 to her mother, Joyce Mack, a Las Vegas philanthropist who died on Oct. 11, 2024. Campaign spokesman Rory McShane told the Journal the attribution was a clerical error. The campaign later amended the filing to split the $7,000 evenly between primary debt and the general election.

Flippo, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and financial adviser, faces Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Mark Amodei. Flippo won the Republican primary on June 9 after President Donald Trump endorsed him on May 29. Republicans have held Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District since its creation after the 1980 census. Trump won the district by 14 points in 2024, but the current race has drawn attention as unexpectedly competitive. Benitez-Thompson criticized Flippo’s military record, personal finances, and donors in a statement to The Washington Sun.

Other reports have examined Flippo’s background. The Washington Post reported on Sept. 24 that he falsely claimed to have received a Bronze Star for valor. His 2004 Bronze Star did not carry that distinction. Flippo apologized in late September and blamed campaign staffers for mixing up his awards. Mother Jones reported Tuesday that records show his former employer, First Command, opened an internal review in November 2024 after he was accused of willful misrepresentations. The company fired him about a week after the investigation concluded. Flippo has said his financial licenses remain in good standing.

Flippo has loaned his campaign more than $1.8 million. He missed the May 15 deadline to file a personal financial disclosure. As of Thursday, the document did not appear on the House Clerk’s website. Rep. Mark Amodei, who did not vote for Flippo, called him a “fraud” and questioned the vetting the candidate received before winning the nomination. Early voting in Nevada ended Friday, and Election Day is Tuesday.