The chair of the Libertarian Party’s National Committee, Angela McArdle, abruptly resigned last month as allegations of embezzlement surfaced—only to quickly land a position in President Donald Trump’s administration.
McArdle stepped down on January 24, just three days after Jack Porter, a former Libertarian candidate for Iowa governor, publicly accused her of financial misconduct. Porter alleged that she funneled over $45,000 in party funds to her domestic partner, Austin Padgett, through a company called Freedom Calls LLC.
According to Reason, which investigated the claims, Porter discovered that Padgett, McArdle’s partner and the father of her child, was listed as the company’s incorporation. “The operation’s website says it offers phone banking, canvassing, and website and email services, but the ‘Who are you?’ section merely says they are a radical group of individuals who’ve come together to change the system.
We are futurists,’” Reason reported. “The tech industry is full of disrupters and secret dissidents. No names are provided.” Porter also found no Federal Election Commission records of Freedom Calls receiving payments from any entities other than the Libertarian Party.
The controversy intensified when it was revealed that the Libertarian National Committee (LNC) had already halted direct payments to Padgett in January 2024. However, payments to Freedom Calls reportedly began the following month, raising further concerns about transparency. Party rules require that financial agreements involving legal relatives, domestic partners, or business associates be disclosed and approved by a vote—something that did not happen in this case.
Before exiting, McArdle made accusations against other party members, claiming she was the target of personal attacks. “The LNC is reacting as best they can in the face of constant attacks by unstable litigants like Caryn Ann Harlos, and my cyberstalkers Todd Hagopian and Jake Porter,” McArdle told Reason.
“I have retained an attorney to deal with the aggressive cyberstalking by these men.” McArdle, now working with Trump’s administration, hinted at a conspiracy involving federal agencies targeting the Libertarian Party. “I will be working with new appointees in the Trump administration to find out if the FBI and State Dept have been involved in the attacks on the LP and me,” she said.
She also claimed that federal agencies have an interest in “disrupting the Libertarian movement” and took credit for persuading Trump to pardon Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road black market. McArdle’s support for Trump has long been controversial among Libertarians. Last spring, she drew backlash for inviting him to speak at the party’s national convention, further dividing the party’s ranks.