J.D. Vance owes his GOP Senate primary victory in Ohio to two people:
Donald Trump and Peter Thiel. Trump’s endorsement put him over the top
in a crowded primary, while Thiel’s support — funneled through a super
PAC called Protect Ohio Values (aka POV) — enabled Vance to outsource
many traditional campaign operations, including polling, advertising,
GOTV and, it turns out, opposition research.

One big problem with letting a super PAC do everything: Campaign finance
law prohibits communication between a candidate’s own committee and a
super PAC supporting them.

But there are ways around that obstacle. 

As Alex Isenstadt detailed Tuesday in a fascinating tick-tock of the
Ohio race, POV set up an unadvertised-but-public Medium account, where
it posted a trove of sensitive documents, polling reports, audio and
video for Vance to use. Some of the files are boring, such as b-roll
footage the Vance camp could include in ads. But the group also posted
extensive opposition research reports — on both his primary opponents
and Vance himself.

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