Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s GOP primary challenger says he’s still in the race despite rumors

Rumors of the death of Mark Houck’s Congressional campaign have been greatly exaggerated.

Houck is still in the race for Pennsylvania’s 1st District, he confirmed, Tuesday, explaining how an FEC filing led to incorrect speculation on social media that he’d suspended his GOP primary campaign.

The anti-abortion activist challenging U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said his campaign had suspended a committee, “Houck for Congress,” because the language didn’t match his website and campaign materials as required.

The committee named “Mark Houck for Congress” is still alive, as is his bid.

“We’ve got more momentum than ever,” Houck said.

Houck also faced questions this week about the more than $400,000 he raised after being arrested outside of a Planned Parenthood in Philadelphia in 2021.

During a Bucks County candidate forum Monday in Newtown, Houck was asked by an attendee about the money raised on GiveSendGo, a crowdfunding site favored by right-wing causes. In a video shared with Clout, Houck tells the woman, in a testy exchange, the money is now in a trust for his seven children.

“Where’d the half million dollars go? It’s in a trust fund for my children,” Houck says in the video.

“Look at your temperament,” she replies.

Houck told Clout the fund, set up in his wife’s name, was always intended to support his family. He faced 11 years in prison and $350,000 in fines if convicted of intimidating workers at a Philadelphia clinic. His legal fees were covered by the Thomas More Society, a conservative Roman Catholic law firm.

Last January, Houck was acquitted of all charges.

“It was there to help ... provided I would go off to prison or the government would continue to attack me,” Houck said of the fund. “And those funds have gone into a trust for the children should their father continue to be persecuted. I don’t know what people expect. Do they expect me to donate to a cause?”

After his arrest, Houck did many interviews in which he directed people interested in supporting his legal defense to go to his ministry website. His ministry, The King’s Men, convenes men’s faith retreats and describes itself as “authentically Catholic” and “unapologetically masculine.”

Its website includes a link to support the ministry and another to support the family fund. The family fund says money collected “will go to help the family with any necessary expenses.”

Houck said he didn’t list the trust on his financial disclosure, filed in December with the U.S. House, because it’s in the name of his wife and children. However, U.S. House ethics rules require candidates to disclose their spouse and dependents’ financial interests, except in rare circumstances.

Houck, a first-time candidate who is largely running a campaign via conservative media, previously ran afoul of the FEC for not registering a campaign bank account and instead directing donors to a PayPal site.

He reported raising $77,312 for his campaign since July but spent heavily and only has about $7,000 left on hand.

Clout provides often irreverent news and analysis about people, power, and politics.