Bangstad terminates Minocqua Brewing Company PAC

Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad is shutting down his Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC, closing its books with no cash remaining, even as allegations about how PAC money was spent continue to be litigated in state court.

According to papers filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC has filed termination papers, ending operations after spending its remaining funds and reporting zero debts and zero liabilities. 

The filing effectively closes the books on a political committee that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars during its existence and became a central part of Bangstad’s political activities.

The termination report shows the PAC received a final $10,000 contribution from Minocqua Brewing Company on May 5, along with $1 in unitemized contributions, before spending nearly all remaining funds and winding down operations. 

All totaled, the PAC spent $17,985.76 during its final reporting period and more than $35,000 during 2026 before closing. Rather than directing money to candidates or political committees, most expenditures went toward operating expenditures.

The largest recipient in the reporting period was NCPS, which received $8,644.82 for what filings described as “strategic consulting services.” Other significant expenditures included payments to NGP VAN for database services and CFO Compliance for campaign-finance compliance work. Advertising expenses on Facebook and Google also continued through the committee’s final weeks. 

A look back

According to FEC filings, the PAC raised approximately $2.3 million since its 2021 registration. For the 2025-26 period, it raised $348,723, while spending more than $381,000. 

Nearly all expenditures were classified as operating expenses, which the FEC defines as a committee’s day-to-day expenditures for items such as rent, overhead, administration, personnel, equipment, travel, advertising, and fundraising. That was also true for the two earlier reporting periods, both of which exceeded 90 percent of disbursements for operating expenditures.

The final filing also shows that consulting, compliance, and campaign infrastructure expenses accounted for the overwhelming majority of the committee’s last expenditures. NCPS, NGP VAN, and CFO Compliance together represented about 85 percent of spending during the final reporting period.

The termination comes as Bangstad remains embroiled in litigation brought by Lakeland Times publisher Gregg Walker and general manager Heather Holmes. The lawsuit alleges invasion of privacy and also raises questions about the relationship between Bangstad, Minocqua Brewing Company, and the Super PAC.

Walker and Holmes filed the lawsuit in Oneida County circuit court, alleging that Bangstad and MBC unlawfully used their images and likenesses in their weekly newsletters and social media posts without their consent in violation of Wisconsin privacy law.

The complaint also asserted an alter ego theory, alleging that Bangstad, MBC, and the MBC Super PAC operated in an intertwined financial and operational fashion. According to the original lawsuit, Walker and Holmes alleged that Bangstad used the PAC as a personal and business funding vehicle.

“Since 2021, the MBC Super PAC has paid Bangstad, entities Bangstad controls, friends of Bangstad, Minocqua Brewing, and law firms a total of $1,124,440.19, which represents a staggering 58.3 percent of all expenditures by the MBC Super PAC since its inception,” the lawsuit states. “Based on the expenditure totals, the primary purpose of the MBC Super PAC is to provide a source of income for Bangstad and cover debts he owes to various law firms.”

A federal judge recently rejected Bangstad’s attempt to move the case into federal court, ruling that the dispute primarily involves Wisconsin state-law claims rather than federal campaign-finance law. 

The case has now returned to Oneida County Circuit Court for further proceedings.

Richard Moore is the author of “Dark State” and may be reached at richardd3d.substack.com.