Republican Sam Brown worked for hardline anti-abortion group

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sam Brown said he would not support a federal abortion ban if elected. Brown’s ties to the Faith and Freedom Coalition, an extremist anti-abortion group, make the sincerity of that claim questionable.

Brown, a former Army Captain and War in Afghanistan veteran, launched his bid for Senate in Nevada last year. If he secures the Republican nomination, he will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen in November. A primary is scheduled for June 11.

Abortion is currently legal in Nevada. Protecting abortion access is expected to be a major issue in the race.

Brown first ran for Senate in 2022 but failed to advance past the Republican primary. As was reported by Axios, Brown led the Nevada chapter of the Faith and Freedom Coalition between his two campaigns.

The group advocates for political policies that are in line with the evangelical worldview. They have supported state level abortion bans across the country.

Brown did not include his work with the Faith and Freedom Coalition on his personal financial disclosure report. In a statement to the Las Vegas Sun, a Brown spokesperson claimed Brown was not compensated for the work.

“Sam has not done any work with the Nevada Faith and Freedom Coalition since May 2023, well before his campaign launch,” the spokesperson said. “Sam resigned from his position and we asked that he be removed from their website. It was strictly a volunteer position.”

Despite this assertion, Senate rules require candidates to report all official positions held, both compensated and uncompensated, in the two years preceding their candidacy. The Nevada State Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission over Brown’s omission.

Now, another tie between Brown and the Faith and Freedom Coalition has come to light.

Duty First Nevada, a political action committee supporting Brown, is being helmed by conservative strategist Lance Lemmonds. Prior to joining the group, Lemmonds served as communications director for the national branch of the Faith and Freedom Coalition.

According to FEC filings, Lemmonds has been paid approximately $90,000 by Duty First Nevada since August 2023. Last month, the group spent $323,000 on TV ads supporting Brown.

The Faith and Freedom Coalition’s national website clearly states their goal as it pertains to abortion access.

“Now that the power to regulate abortion has been returned to elected officials, Faith & Freedom is working diligently to protect life by working with elected leaders in Washington, DC and in State Capitols throughout the country to enact pro-life laws and executive action that protects women and their unborn children,” the site states.

A Brown spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions for this story.