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Good afternoon, and welcome back to Press Pass. Regular readers of this newsletter will recall that I took a short break in April after my wife and I had a baby. I’m going to be taking another break from tomorrow until late August to spend more time with my girl. But Press Pass will continue, albeit at a slower pace and with guest writers providing insight into what’s happening on Capitol Hill. Please show them the same support and respect that you show me every week. (Unless it’s Andrew Egger. Be as mean to him as you want.)
Today’s edition asks a simple question: Are you now or have you ever been affiliated with the Communist Party? For one candidate for Congress, that answer is “yes”—and incredibly, it’s not the DSA type you might expect. It’s a Republican candidate in Rhode Island who is a QAnon-adjacent MAGA populist and who recently registered as a foreign agent for individuals and entities affiliated with the Cuban government. Yikes, comrade!
In addition to that, New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean Jr. returned to the Capitol Tuesday after being missing for months and refusing to disclose where he’s been or why. Kean tried to clear the air but his re-emergence could signal the beginning of his problems rather than their resolution. Lastly, while the sportswear industry seems to get blander and less inspired every year, bowling shirts remain cool and interesting. One of the reasons for their enduring appeal is their unique cultural and material history. Read all about that and more, below.
Oh. And, before I go, one last thing. It’s nearly July Fourth! In honor of this great day, The Bulwark is launching a campaign to “Take back the Fourth.” It’s a declaration that this country is dedicated to freedom, equality, and self-government. So join us for $86 a year—14 percent off an annual Bulwark+ membership. Eight-six the BS. Take back the Fourth!
Meet the GOP House Candidate Moonlighting as a Communist Party Agent
Even the Trump administration is a bit skeptical of this one.
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An enemy of the people
VICTOR MELLOR HAS QUITE THE RESUME. He is the former (unpaid, informal) chief of staff to disgraced QAnon advocate and retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn, he was present at the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, and he is vying for the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Democratic Rep. Seth Magaziner for his seat in Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District.
And now Mellor has added a new job to the list: foreign agent on behalf of Communists in Cuba.
According to a Foreign Agents Registration Act filing dated June 16, Mellor was engaged in late May by Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for work “deliberating on ideas for improving Cuban-American relations, suggesting content ideas and discussing how Cubans communicate amongst each other compared to Americans communicating amongst each other.”
Cuban muckety-muck Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro has also engaged Mellor for similar purposes, according to a separate FARA filing. The grandson of Raúl Castro, the former Cuban leader recently indicted by the United States, the younger Castro is a well-connected figure within Cuban government, politics, and internal security; he has reportedly been involved in talks with the U.S. State Department about the future of the island and its Communist government. Over there, according to CNN, they call him “the Crab”—on account of a malformed finger. Pretty cruel, really.
Castro and Mellor met to discuss “potential preparation of informational materials and dissemination, currently providing sample ideas for social media content and strategies plus how to bridge communication gaps between Cubans and Americans,” according to the second filing.
The filing also notes that Mellor discussed “expectations and relationship building” with his Cuban contacts, and that the activities he is undertaking related to the Cuban government are intended to promote “communication and cultural differences to further perspective and conquer communication challenges.”
Mellor’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
About a week prior to Mellor’s registration, USA Today spotted him returning from a trip to Cuba, during which he met with Communist Party leaders and seems to have served as a sort of self-appointed envoy to the island nation.
“I’m not back-channeling and I’m not going to circumvent Marco Rubio,” Mellor insisted to USA Today. “[Rubio’s] been doing an amazing job. A conversation isn’t betrayal. We’re having an open dialogue. I don’t see how I could hurt anybody.”
The move earned a stern condemnation from the U.S. State Department. A spokesperson told the paper that Mellor “is not authorized to speak on behalf of the United States government and is not involved in anything the administration is doing.”
As for what Mellor is expected to deliver for the Cubans, both filings state, “There is no agreement or understanding.” This suggests that the filings could be meant to circumvent further scrutiny from the Trump administration. It’s all quite strange. Typically, a single meeting does not warrant registration as a foreign agent. Registration usually comes after the agent has entered into a fleshed-out agreement to influence U.S. public policy or opinion on behalf of the fore