The caucus has support of some prominent libertarians, such as comedian Dave Smith, political commentator Tom Woods, and radio host Scott Horton.[6][7] Ron Paul once called the caucus "the libertarian wing of the Libertarian Party."[8] The caucus has also been highly controversial, and has been accused of their critics of harboring bigotry or being plants of the Republican Party, which the Mises Caucus denies.[9]
The Mises Caucus has shifted the Libertarian Party further toward the right ever since their party’s national convention in May 2022.[9] As of 2022, the Mises Caucus is the largest caucus of the Libertarian Party, and controls all leadership positions on the Libertarian National Committee as well as 37 state affiliates.[10][11]
In late 2017, the newly-formed caucus reached out to the chairman of the 2018 LP Convention Committee, Daniel Hayes, entertaining the idea of Ron Paul and Andrew Napolitano speaking at the 2018 Libertarian National Convention. Hayes rejected the idea, claiming Ron Paul doesn't represent the party's values.[18][better source needed] Ron Paul confronted the controversy, stating he has been a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party since 1987 when he paid using a gold coin, and asked, "do I get my gold coin back?".[18] Sarwark later said in a tweet: "If Ron Paul decides he wants to attend the Libertarian Party national convention in New Orleans and speak, I'll make sure he gets time on the stage. It's the least we can do for a life member, former Presidential nominee, and Hall of Liberty award winner."[19]
In February 2018, the Mises Caucus endorsed LNC at-large member Joshua Smith in the 2018 party chair election,[20] but later ended up losing to incumbent Sarwark 65–22%.[21]
2019–2021
In 2019, the Mises Caucus launched a political action committee, Mises PAC, to raise money for Libertarian candidates.[22]
The caucus once again endorsed Joshua Smith for party chairman,[25] but lost to Joe Bishop-Henchman.
In June 2021, the Mises-controlled New Hampshire affiliate made controversial tweets calling for "legalizing child labor", repealing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and re-opening Gitmo "so that Anthony Fauci and every governor that locked their state down can be sent there".[10] LPNH Chair Jilletta Jarvis in response took control of the state party's digital assets and Twitter account and disavowed the Mises Caucus members of the state party committee.[10][26][27] This move was widely condemned by many in the caucus, and some in the party outside the caucus, including 2020 VP nominee Spike Cohen and former U.S congressman Justin Amash. LNC Chair Bishop-Henchman moved for the LNC to disaffiliate LPNH, alleging that the Mises faction had violated the national party's Statement of Principles. Both Jarvis and Bishop-Henchman resigned from their positions after the LNC rejected the disaffiliation motion.[10][26][28]
2022 Takeover of the LNC
In 2021, Mises Caucus board member Angela McArdle announced her intention to run for party chair.[29][30] She was later endorsed by the caucus.[31] At the 2022 Libertarian National Convention on May 28, McArdle won the LNC Chair election with over 69% of the vote, as well as the caucus sweeping all LNC positions, completing the takeover of the Libertarian Party by the Mises Caucus.[32]
In response to the Mises Caucus-controlled LNC, the Libertarian Party affiliates in the States of New Mexico, Virginia, and Massachusetts disaffiliated from the National Libertarian Party, and in late 2022 formed the Association of Liberty State Parties.[33]
Additionally, the Keystone Party of Pennsylvania splintered off from the Libertarian Party in April 2022 as a result of the Mises Caucus takeover in Pennsylvania that same year.[34]
In 2023, the Libertarian Party of Michigan entered leadership dispute based on the removal of their chair in July, 2022, who is in the leadership of the Michigan Mises PAC.[35][36] This has led to a trademark lawsuit filed by the LNC.[37]
Since the 2022 takeover of the LNC, the largely Mises Caucus aligned leadership has overseen the revenue of the party decline more than half monthly.[38]
Angela McArdle, a board member of the Mises Caucus, said in 2021 that the party should be ideologically closer to Ron Paul than Gary Johnson, and that Johnson didn't "put a fire in anyone's hearts".[30]
The Mises Caucus believes the Libertarian Party should focus running political candidates for local offices rather than the statewide or federal offices, which they view the latter as too unrealistic.[43]
In his resignation letter as LNC chair, Bishop-Henchman accused the Mises Caucus of having a "toxic culture" and "bad actors" that is "destroying and driving people away from the party".[10][26][28] In June 2021, former congressman Justin Amash criticized the Mises-controlled New Hampshire affiliate for "edgelording" and being unprofessional in their messaging.[46][47]
In May 2022, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) said that "Members of the Libertarian Party are concerned about the Mises Caucus winning control of the party at the May 26 national convention, ushering in an era of collaboration between the U.S.'s largest third party and the hard-right movement inside the Republican Party”.[49] The SPLC said that Caucus chair and founder Michael Heise had cited donations received from Patrick M. Byrne and nominated Daryl Brooks for Governor of Pennsylvania.[49] Both Byrne and Brooks promoted the conspiracy theory that the 2020 presidential electionwas stolen from Donald Trump, the SPLC said.[50][51]
Notes
^Mises Caucus chair Michael Heise denies the charges of racism, arguing their appeal is among "youths who are into edgy podcasts".[32] Dempsey, member of the Mises-controlled LPNH affiliate said "I passionately reject the notion that Mises Caucus is completely, or filled with, racists or bigots".[10]
US$568,890.55[4]
