Thread by @SHumphreyTV

Have y'all seen these ads for a man named Paul Bondar, challenging sitting congressman Tom Cole in the OK-4 Republican primary? They're hard to miss.

Wondering who he is? I was too.

So I interviewed him today!

And I learned a *lot* of interesting things...

THREAD ⬇️

@kfor

Before I go further, let me also show you the ads Tom Cole's campaign has been running in response to Bondar's.

Cole's campaign makes a lot of accusations--namely--that Bondar lives in Texas, not Oklahoma.

@kfor

I did some digging of my own after I saw those claims.

I found a few things up front...

According to his FEC filings, his campaign's treasurer is a man named Thomas Datwyler.

Datwyler was also listed as George Santos' campaign treasurer back when he ran.

As of yesterday, Bondar's website didn't say anything about where he lives... just that he has two kids, and a wife named Jenni.

Here's what his "about me" page said less than 24 hours ago.

Interestingly, his 'about me' page was updated today, around the same time I started reaching out with some questions.

Now it tells a little more about him, and even name drops @tonyromo!

I googled his wife's name. One of the results is an FEC filing for something called “Smucker Victory Committee.” Turns out she and Paul both donated to it in 2022. They listed their address as a home along the shores of Lake Ray Hubbard in Heath, Texas. docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/…

I searched the house’s sales history on Zillow.

It shows it was last sold in 2020. (I assumed that's when the Bondars probably bought it.)

And 2024 Records from the Rockwall County Tax assessor show--the Bondars do, in fact, still own it.

Bondar is licensed to do insurance in the state of Illinois. Luckily Illinois has a great online licensing database, which shows when Bondar registered for his insurance license in Illinois, he listed Texas as his “domicile state.” sbs.naic.org/solar-external…

But, When Bondar filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for OK-4, he listed an address in Norman as his home.

docquery.fec.gov/pdf/610/202405…

According to the Cleveland County Assessor, Bondar does *not* own that home in Norman, but rather a woman named Nicole. (I don't have time to get into who she is right now, it's a whole other rabbit hole to go down.)

I stopped by the house today, but no one was home.

It did have quite a few campaign signs in the yard for various local candidates, so I assume the home is lived in.

I got in touch with Bondar's team today, and I did an interview with him. I will have it tonight at 10, but here's a summary of some of what he told me.

He told me he was inspired to run against Cole because he felt Cole has ben absent from OK-4 over the years.

"I feel like definitely there is a need for somebody to actually step up and run a campaign," he told me. “I think Mr. Cole has been basically running uncontested.”

I asked him about a picture he included in his had... of him standing with Roger Stone and Michael Flynn (google them if you don't know who they are).

He says he became friends with them after volunteering for campaigns together over the years.

In fact, he says they even played a role in his choice to run for OK-4.

“It really wasn't something I woke up and said I need to do," he told me. "Others have said, Paul, I would like for you to consider doing this. We need you. We need you here. So I was asked to run by many.”

He does not deny he owns that house on the lake in Texas. however, he says he recently bought a 500-acre ranch near Durant where he is building his forever home.

(Btw that's not in OK-4's boundaries...BUT law only requires a candidate live in the state, not the actual district)

As for right now, he says he is renting a house in Stonewall.

Stonewall is a town near Ada.

He told me he listed his Stonewall house as his address on his FEC filings.

But as I told you, that's not true. He listed that Norman house on his FEC filings.

Coincidentally, the homebuilder in the neighborhood where that Norman house is... is called "Stonewall Homes."

When it comes to his Texas house, he was pretty forthcoming.

He says he does still own the house, and did register to vote at that Texas address back in March.

But he swears... Oklahoma is his home now, and he has been busy criss-crossing OK-4 everyday campaigning lately.

Except for today. He's not in Oklahoma today.

I'll leave you with this clip from my interview, when I asked him about his voter registration.

It's how I learned he's not in state right now.

FULL STORY ONLY ON @kfor AT 10.