Pro-Trump super PAC paid business owned by campaign director thousands

The consulting firm owned by Brad Parscale, President Trump's campaign director, reportedly received close to a million dollars from the super PAC America First Action, which supports the president and other GOP candidates.

It was originally thought that the company belonged to Candice, Brad's wife, but Parscale confirmed Friday night that he was the sole owner of the company and that his wife's involvement was limited to accounting.

The consulting firm, Red State Data and Digital, has been paid by the super PAC for "designing and developing websites" and for "fundraising," according to the Federal Election Commission. Single payments ranged from $ 495 to $ 10,000.

It's illegal for a super PAC to participate in a campaign, but Candice and Brad Parscale both said that the relationship between the consulting agency and the super PAC was not harmful.

"This is a perfectly legal and appropriate arrangement, which is protected by a firewall, with no chance of coordination," Brad Parscale told CNN. "There could be no coordination because the ads placed were intended for other candidates at mid-term in 2018. Everything is in line with the FEC."

Candice Parscale also said that her involvement in the daily transactions of Red State Data and Digital was limited to accounting.

"I pay and bill," she said.

Some expressed concerns about the optics of a super PAC working closely with a company attached to the president's campaign manager.

"This calls into question the independence of the super PAC," said former CEF General Counsel Larry Noble. "One could hope that a monitoring agency would investigate allegations of coordination."

America First Action used Parscale Strategies, Brad Parscale's former marketing company, before becoming Trump's campaign manager. Red State was created in March 2018, just days after Parscale was named Campaign Director.

"It sounds terrible because it's hard to believe that they would not share information," Noble said. He described the appearance of this relationship as "worrying".

A spokeswoman for America First Action also dismissed the idea that their relationship with Red State Data and Digital was related to Parscales' involvement.

"Red State is a valued supplier that provides us with digital consulting services at a competitive rate," said the spokesman. "America First strictly adheres to the rules and regulations of the FEC and any suggestion to the contrary is patently false."

UPDATE: An earlier version of this story indicated that Red State belonged to Candice Parscale, as CNN reported. Brad Parscale contacted CNN to confirm that he was the sole owner of Red State, not his wife, as had originally been announced.

"So, legally, we both own it," Parscale said Friday night. "She [Candice] is my wife and I allow her to drop and be part of my business because I trust her. It depends on how you look at it. But no. That's all my company. He also stated that his wife's status as a "member" or owner was "mis-listed" on the founding documents of the company incorporated in 2018. " She just ticked the box of what she was. I am the owner. "

"@cnn are liars who are trying to write a dirty story about my wife.I own all my companies.My wife is a member of some of them to make rankings and keep books. "said Parscale later in the evening. "It's a disgusting thing to give a very simple appearance to a very simple thing. His last name is Parscale, what would he hide?