Members of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC), the body that steers the national Libertarian Party (LP), engaged in talk of electoral collaboration with state-level Republican party affiliates, according to a leak of some internal communications, and made crude remarks about the LGBTQ+ community. Portions of the leak suggest closeness with a sympathetic political action committee (PAC) that may run afoul of Federal Elections Commission (FEC) regulations, according to a campaign finance expert.

The leak came a year after members of the far-right Mises Caucus (MC) won control of the LNC at the June 2022 Libertarian National Convention. Since then, LP membership and fundraising have dropped. Critics say MC affiliates’ edgy, far-right rhetoric – including anti-LGBTQ+ and pro-secession posts – has contributed to the fall. Internal documents show LNC members acknowledge the declines but cast most of the blame on fundraising software issues.

Miguel Duque, a former LNC representative from Washington state, leaked the cache, which contains hundreds of pages of text messages, a group chat and confidential memos between members of the LNC. The leak became public on Aug. 17. Duque stepped down following the leak. The LNC acknowledged the leak. Hatewatch received the leak from John Hudak, a libertarian critic of the MC.

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