Alabama Values PAC is facing a cease-and-desist from Rep. Phillip Pettus only days after Rep. Matt Simpson’s campaign filed a similar legal demand, as accusations mount that the group deliberately misrepresented legislative votes in Republican primaries.
Pressure is building on Alabama Values PAC after a pair of legal threats from sitting Republican lawmakers—an escalation that’s drawing fresh questions about whether a conservative outside group is playing fair with Alabama’s 2026 primary voters.
Attorneys for Rep. Phillip Pettus, R-Killen, sent a formal cease-and-desist demand on Thursday accusing the political action committee of distributing “false, deliberately misleading, defamatory, and libelous” campaign materials aimed at Pettus during his reelection effort.
The demand came just days after Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, initiated similar legal action against the same PAC over separate advertisements that criticized Simpson’s legislative record.
In statements released alongside the legal moves, both incumbents framed the attacks as more than routine hardball. Pettus said the group’s messaging crossed a line into direct deception about what legislation actually did.
“The continued lies must stop,” Pettus said in a statement Thursday. “That’s why my campaign issued a cease and desist order against Alabama Values PAC. If they can’t come to the table to tell the truth, then it’s time they lawyer up.”
Pettus argued that the PAC’s ads and mailers didn’t just take political liberties—they allegedly distorted bill language in ways designed to mislead GOP primary voters rather than accurately explain the bills themselves.
“It’s unfair to you, the voters, to be directly lied to about what legislation does,” Pettus said. “This does nothing but hurt us as a community and everything we’ve worked so hard to accomplish.”
The claims Pettus’ campaign pointed to center on specific bills.. One mailer accused Pettus of backing “taxpayer funded tuition for illegals” through HB210. even though the bill’s language. according to Pettus’ account. explicitly barred undocumented immigrants from receiving scholarships. grants. financial aid or other educational benefits.. Pettus’ campaign also said the legislation never became law.
Another attack tied Pettus to “legalize gifts to politicians from lobbyists” through HB227. Pettus’ campaign said the bill instead strengthened ethics penalties, expanded transparency requirements, and enhanced audit provisions.
A third mailer connected Pettus to “early parole for violent felons” through HB16. though Pettus’ campaign said the measure concerned judicial discretion tied to cash bond payments—not parole law.. Pettus’ team also pointed to his support for Aniah’s Law. described as a constitutional amendment expanding judicial authority to deny bond to certain violent offenders.
“During my time in office, I’ve only ever worked for the people of House District 1,” Pettus said. “I’ve never had any political agendas, and I’ve helped the citizens of Lauderdale County at every turn.”
“To have these continued lies spread about legislation is a complete disservice to the voters in House District 1, and they deserve honesty and transparency, which is what we’re looking to accomplish with this measure,” he added.
Pettus’ legal threat follows a broader pattern of scrutiny around Alabama Values PAC that began with an earlier investigation.. That earlier reporting found the PAC emerged shortly before the Republican primary election and used coordinated mailers. websites. and text messaging aimed at Republican incumbents who supported legislation giving Alabama voters an opportunity to vote on gambling-related issues.
It also reported the PAC was registered to a rented UPS Store mailbox in Montgomery and listed Wisconsin-based political operative Thomas Datwyler as both chairperson and treasurer.
Datwyler has previously been connected to multiple political committees nationwide and has faced scrutiny related to campaign finance compliance issues in multiple states, according to that earlier reporting.
At the time of the initial investigation, Alabama Values PAC had not filed campaign finance disclosures revealing its funding sources, because the organization had only recently registered with the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office.
As of Thursday afternoon, Alabama Values PAC had not publicly responded to Pettus’ cease-and-desist demand.
The back-to-back legal threats from sitting Republican lawmakers mark an unusual escalation within Alabama’s GOP. where aggressive independent expenditures are common.. Candidates frequently target opponents in primaries—but accusing a conservative outside political organization of knowingly distributing false legislative claims is rarer.
With the Republican primary now entering its final stretch, the increasing pressure is expected to intensify calls for donor disclosure, particularly as voters still do not know who is financing the PAC’s campaign activities.
Alabama Values PAC Phillip Pettus Matt Simpson Alabama politics GOP primary cease-and-desist political action committee campaign finance