Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a town hall hosted by the NAACP on September 11, 2019 (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s picture appeared — burned, melted away amid a pile of skeletons — in a TV ad aired during breaks on Thursday night’s Democratic presidential debate, controversy quickly rose as many criticized ABC News for running the graphic video.

The half-minute ad featured former congressional candidate Elizabeth Heng, who lost her race against incumbent Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) last year. Heng, a daughter of Cambodian refugees, attacked the New York Democrat’s image as “the face of socialism and ignorance.”

Ocasio-Cortez quickly responded to the attack on Twitter, calling the ad an act of white supremacy. Heng countered by bashing on the Democrats as “supporting an evil ideology.”

The group behind the ad — New Faces GOP PAC — is a recently formed super PAC funded mainly by Republican donors and little-known corporations, most of whom also gave money to Heng’s campaign. The group’s website says its goal is to “help elevate the next generation of Republicans so that we can not only survive as a party, but expand beyond the boundaries we’ve set for ourselves.”

The group has received nearly $171,000 from 22 donors since January. It spent $71,800 — almost half of what it raised — airing the ad in the nation’s capital during and after the Thursday debate, according to Federal Communications Commission records in OpenSecrets’ political ad database.

The super PAC is mostly funded by longtime GOP donors and a handful of obscure companies.

Venture capitalist Paul Martino, who founded San Francisco firm Bullpen Capital, wrote a $25,000 check to the new group. A longtime Republican donor, Martino maxed out contributions to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and his leadership PAC Reinventing a New Direction, as well as Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) over the years. Martino’s River Horse PAC also gave $2,000 to Heng’s campaign last year.

New York businessman Andrew Sabin, an active donor to both Republicans and conservation causes, contributed $10,000 to New Faces GOP. He’s the most prolific donor to fund the Heng-related group, having given hundreds of thousands to Republican candidates and groups including $100,000 to President Donald Trump’s joint fundraising committee, Trump Victory.

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Apart from big individual donors, the super PAC also attracted money from California holding companies and shell entities.

Tov Investments, LLC made the largest contribution of those companies at $25,000. The limited-liability corporation is a property investment company for Millbrae resident Karen Tov and other members of her family, according to California business records. Members of the Tov family gave $21,600 to Heng’s campaign in 2018.

Hanna Trust DTD, a shell corporation affiliated with California businessman David Hanna, gave $10,000 to the group. Hanna, the son of legendary animator William Hanna, gave $5,400 to Heng last year. An active Republican donor, he gave a total of $175,000 to the once-mighty Karl Rove-affiliated American Crossroads super PAC between the 2012 and 2016 election cycles.

Shiralian Enterprises — which gave $5,000 — is an umbrella company for gas stations and truck stops owned by Fresno businessman Shawn Shiralian, according to California business records. Shiralian contributed $2,700 to Heng in 2018 and is an active donor to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.).

Another donor corporation, T Management Services, Inc, is an obscure consulting firm owned by Long Beach businessman Gary DeLong, according to California business records. DeLong, a former Long Beach city council member, ran unsuccessfully for California’s 47th District seat in 2012. He also gave $2,700 to Heng in 2018 and chipped in another $12,500 to the House Republicans’ Congressional Leadership Fund super PAC.

Other donors to give $10,000 include the owner of a California onion farm and the senior advisor at a Los Angeles private equity firm.

One of the group’s original largest donors, California businessman James Jameson, had his $25,000 contribution refunded in June. The former George H.W. Bush administration official gave $5,400 to Heng’s unsuccessful 2018 campaign and is a longtime donor to California Republicans.

Jameson is now part of a planetary defense group that aims to protect Earth against asteroids. In 2011, he published a memoir detailing his business career, which involved starting businesses in former communist countries, and reflecting on the successes and shortcomings of capitalism.



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