May 5, 2022: The book J.D. Vance doesnt want you to read
J.D. Vance owes his GOP Senate primary victory in Ohio to two people: Donald Trump and Peter Thiel. Trump\u2019s endorsement put him over the top in a crowded primary, while Thiel\u2019s support \u2014 funneled through a super PAC called Protect Ohio Values (aka POV) \u2014 enabled Vance to outsource many traditional campaign operations, including polling, advertising, GOTV and, it turns out, opposition research.\nOne big problem with letting a super PAC do everything: Campaign finance law prohibits communication between a candidate\u2019s own committee and a super PAC supporting them.\nBut there are ways around that obstacle.\xa0\nAs Alex Isenstadt detailed Tuesday in a fascinating tick-tock of the Ohio race, POV set up an unadvertised-but-public Medium account, where it posted a trove of sensitive documents, polling reports, audio and video for Vance to use. Some of the files are boring, such as b-roll footage the Vance camp could include in ads. But the group also posted extensive opposition research reports \u2014 on both his primary opponents and Vance himself.\nSubscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter\nRaghu Manavalan is the Host of POLITICO's Playbook.Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.