Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s ties to far-right Christian nationalist group blasted on Tucson airwaves

A new political ad airing in Tucson this week ties US Rep. Juan Ciscomani to a far-right group that could tarnish his reputation as a moderate Republican.

In an exclusive for The Copper Courier, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) shared the ad prior to its airing. The TV spot is the first of many messaging efforts by the DCCC, who plan to spend big in congressional districts with vulnerable representatives, like Ciscomani.

The ad hits on an aspect of Ciscomani’s life that his Democratic challenger, Kirsten Engel, hopes will cause voters’ trust in him to waver. Ciscomani was heavily involved with a far-right group called the Patriot Academy, an organization that opposes abortion care, seeks to legislate the LGBTQ community out of existence, and hosts militant “constitutional defense” firearms classes for minors.

Popular in far-right circles

Patriot Academy’s mission mirrors much of what far-right members of US Congress have advocated for in recent years, most notably by Republican candidate for Vice President, US Sen. JD Vance. Like current Republican leadership, Patriot Academy opposes same-sex marriage, opposes abortion healthcare in any form, denies the reality of climate change, and advocates for far-right Christian values to be imposed on society—all unpopular viewpoints among residents of Tucson and the surrounding area.

“I think Southern Arizona is really sick of politicians that say that they’re going to represent Arizona, and yet go to Washington and just try to please the party bosses,” Engel told The Copper Courier. “And I think that’s what we have in Ciscomani.”

Is Ciscomani connected?

The ad connecting Ciscomani to Patriot Academy makes four claims—here’s a fact check on the accuracy of what it says.

Claim: “For 14 years, Ciscomani was on the board of directors of the Patriot Academy.”

Reality: Ciscomani served on the board of Torch of Freedom, the organization that runs Patriot Academy, from 2007 through 2021. He was initially turned on to the group in 2006 when he first attended their courses.

Claim: Ciscomani has said Patriot Academy “revolutionized” his beliefs.

Reality: While publications from Patriot Academy highlight Ciscomani and say their classes “revolutionized the very core of his beliefs about government,” Ciscomani has never publicly stated this himself.

Ciscomani has, however, stated that “nothing in life has ever given me a clearer direction” than Patriot Academy.

Claim: “Ciscomani’s group wants to destroy the Constitution.”

Reality: Ciscomani does not have ownership over Patriot Academy, although he has been a prominent leader of the far-right group as a board member, and is responsible for campuses opening in Arizona.

Patriot Academy does have a stated goal to re-write the US Constitution, removing core aspects such as the separation of church and state.

Claim: “They’ll ban abortion with no exceptions.”

Reality: Patriot Academy’s leaders were responsible for adding a national abortion ban to the Republican platform in 2016, and the organization regularly publishes anti-abortion blog posts. Ciascomani has gone back and forth regarding abortion access but previously vetted anti-abortion judges to be appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court.

Claim: “And they train children as young as eleven to use lethal force to defend their extreme ideas.”

Reality: They already do. Children as young as 11 can sign up for Patriot Academy’s Constitutional Defense classes, where they can receive firearms training coupled with lectures on Christian nationalism.

Ciscomani’s response

Ciscomani has thus far declined to comment directly on his 14 years as a Patriot Academy Board member since he was first elected in 2022. When asked by Cronkite News reporter Alex Cunningham, campaign consultant Daniel Scarpinato distanced Ciscomani without directly denouncing the Christian nationalist academy.

“Juan believes everyone should have the right to make their voices heard in America,” said Scarpinato. “That includes people of all faith backgrounds and those who don’t practice any organized religion at all.”