A shadowy group backed by Democrat funds is being accused of engaging in "dirty tricks" to interfere with Republican candidates in crucial elections.

Far-left groups are attempting to influence Republican races by recruiting unsuspecting candidates to act as potential spoilers in competitive House races, a shadowy group has been revealed.

A group called the Patriots Run Project has been recruiting Trump supporters to run as independent candidates in swing districts for the past year, with the goal of siphoning votes from Republicans and helping determine which party controls the House next year. The group recruited candidates in six key districts, including Iowa, Nebraska, Montana, Virginia, and Minnesota. All six candidates described themselves as retired or disabled.

The group's operation is shrouded in mystery, with little information available about its management, financing, or motivation. However, an investigation by the AP has uncovered evidence that a substantial amount of money has been spent, some of which can be traced back to Democratic consulting firms.

"At that moment, I was thinking, 'It would be great to be in Congress and collaborate with President Trump,'" Joe Wiederien, 54, stated in an interview outside the Veterans Affairs hospital in Des Moines, where he was receiving treatment for a leaking incision on his head from prior brain surgery. "Now, it seems like a deceitful move."

Wiederien, a former supporter of President Trump, had been registered as a Republican until months prior to the incident. He suffered a debilitating stroke that prevented him from driving. Despite never running for office, he was unable to vote for a period due to a felony conviction.

Last month, he arrived at the Iowa Capitol with more than 1,726 petition signatures, qualifying him as a conservative alternative to first-term Republican Rep. Zach Nunn. After submitting the paperwork, he gave a thumbs-up to an operative he recognized as "Johnny."

Thomas Bowman, a 71-year-old disabled man who received a kidney transplant, stated that he believes he was recruited to run against Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota in order to split the conservative vote and aid Craig in her reelection in the suburban Minneapolis district. Despite being a self-described constitutional conservative, Bowman expressed gratitude for the free assistance he received in obtaining signatures.

"I couldn't have done it alone," Bowman said. "They got me on the ballot."

The conservative group Americans for Public Trust has filed an FEC complaint against Patriots Run Project, accusing the organization of violating campaign finance law by failing to register as a political committee despite its "major purpose" of influencing federal elections.

The operation would be exposed if the group were required to submit reports, which would reveal the financiers and motivations behind it.

The group's website only provides a mailbox located inside a UPS store in Washington, D.C. as the only concrete identifying detail.

"According to Mike Marinella, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, the shady scheme linked to Democrats is a threat to democracy. Despite this, every single Democrat candidate who is benefiting from the plot refuses to condemn it. If they truly care about democracy, they must speak out against the scheme."

The Patriots Run Project ran a series of pro-Trump pages and used apocalyptic rhetoric in their ads to attack establishment politicians in both parties, urging conservatives to run in November.

"Stand for freedom with President Trump and take back control from the globalist elites by running for office," the ad declares.

The recruited individuals communicated with a few operatives through text messages, emails, and phone calls, with in-person contact being limited. Patriots Run Project provided guidance on the forms to fill out and the necessary paperwork to file.

A Nevada company that works closely with the Democratic consulting firm Sole Strategies circulated petition signatures to qualify for the ballot in at least three races, according to documents, including text messages and a draft contract, as well as the firm's co-founder. Meanwhile, in Iowa, a different Democratic firm conducted a poll testing attacks on Nunn while presenting Wiederien as the true conservative.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and House Majority PAC, the Democrats' big spending congressional super PAC, both stated that they had no knowledge of or involvement in the effort.

During the midterms, the Democrats backed extreme Republican candidates in the hope of defeating them more easily in a general election.

Associated Press and Planet Chronicle Digital's Rich Edson contributed to this report