Republican adviser’s son linked to $250,000 influencer campaign against Michigan Senate candidate
A filing shows Breakthrough LLC received $250,000 from the nonprofit America Next for canvassing and influencer marketing targeting Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, and the firm is run by the son of longtime Republican strategist Timmy Teepell.
A filing with the Federal Election Commission reveals that Breakthrough LLC was paid $250,000 by the 501(c)(4) organization America Next on September 29 to fund canvassing and influencer-marketing activities aimed at Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. The payment is the only independent expenditure reported by America Next since 2015.
Breakthrough is owned by Timothy “Timmy” Teepell, a veteran political strategist who has worked for Missouri Senator Josh Hawley and former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. His son, Thomas “Tommy” Teepell, was identified as the individual who questioned El-Sayed about alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood at a town-hall meeting, an exchange that was widely shared on social media.
America Next, which shares an office suite in Baton Rouge with Breakthrough, has been reported to encourage “organic” opposition to El-Sayed. On October 1, a University of Michigan College Republicans member, acting on behalf of America Next, offered students $200 to boo and question El-Sayed at a Flint town-hall event.
The filing does not indicate that Thomas Teepell received any direct payment from Breakthrough or America Next. Timmy Teepell and his firm have also received payments from Senator Hawley’s campaign committee, and the Teepell family holds positions in a Christian nonprofit linked to evangelist Sean Feucht.
America Next, founded by Jindal in 2013, does not disclose its donors. Its 2024 tax filing reported over $5 million in contributions, including $500,000 from the American Action Network and $250,000 from Secure Florida’s Future. The organization has also contributed to Republican super-PACs since 2018.
Attempts to obtain comment from Timmy Teepell, Thomas Teepell, America Next and Senator Hawley’s office were unsuccessful.
"What are you implying? Do you assume that I wouldn’t?" El-Sayed responded during the exchange, emphasizing constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.
Republican candidates, including former Representative Mike Rogers and President Donald Trump, have previously raised unsubstantiated claims about El-Sayed’s alleged connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. No evidence has been found linking Rogers’ campaign to the town-hall disruption plan.