Election litigation can cost tens of thousands of dollars. The source of funding behind this case has not been publicly disclosed.
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Griffin Nate, a 24-year-old congressional staffer for U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym, has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove St. Joseph County Council Member Dan Schaetzle from the Republican primary ballot.
Nate’s legal challenge began before the St. Joseph County Election Board, where he appeared with private legal counsel. After a multi-hour hearing, the bipartisan board voted 3-0 to reject the challenge and allow Schaetzle to remain on the ballot.
The following day, Nate appealed the decision to St. Joseph County’s Circuit Court with roughly 90 pages of filings and exhibits. The dispute has now moved into full litigation, with motions, change of venue requests, and hearings scheduled before a judge.
Election lawsuits are rarely inexpensive. Once a case moves from an administrative hearing into court, attorneys must prepare pleadings, draft motions, research election law, and appear for hearings under tight statutory deadlines. The work can require dozens of hours. At standard hourly billing rates, pursuing a ballot-access lawsuit can cost tens of thousands of dollars before a judge ever rules on the merits.
That reality raises a straightforward question: who is paying for the lawsuit?
Public records provide some context about Nate’s finances. Congressional salary records show Nate earned approximately $83,000 in 2023 and about $88,000 in 2024 as Yakym’s district director, according to LegiStorm.
Federal Election Commission filings also show Nate received payments from a political committee connected to Yakym. The committee paid Nate roughly $22,000 in 2023, about $32,000 in 2024, and approximately $54,000 reported as of late September 2025.
Before the lawsuit
In the summer of 2025, during a private meeting with Republican donors, attendees say Nate presented a PowerPoint and distributed handouts encouraging contributors to bypass the St. Joseph County Republican Party and instead direct financial support to individual candidates or to the Rudy for Hoosiers PAC (political action committee.)
The materials referenced Schaetzle’s continued participation in county GOP events and criticized party leadership for not committing to restrict ballot support for Schaetzle.
According to St. Joseph County Councilwoman Amy Drake’s March 6, 2026 newsletter, the county Republican Party declined to pursue the ballot challenge lawsuit.
“Our county party chair chose not to join the case, so it’s being pursued solely by Griffin Nate, district director for Rudy Yakym,” Drake wrote.
If the county party is not financing the lawsuit, the question remains: who is?
Eight months ago, Nate urged donors to redirect money outside the county party structure over concerns tied to Schaetzle’s ballot access. Eight months later, Nate is the sole plaintiff in a costly lawsuit seeking to remove Schaetzle from the ballot.
Those facts do not answer the funding question.
But they make it unavoidable.
Someone is paying for this lawsuit.
Voters deserve to know who.