Victor Mellor, the Republican nominee for Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District, has contributed and loaned approximately $3.75 million to his campaign while also being registered with the U.S. Department of Justice as a foreign agent for entities connected to the Cuban government. His foreign-agent registration and extensive campaign self-financing have drawn attention ahead of the November 3 election, in which Mellor is challenging incumbent Democratic Rep. Seth Magaziner.

According to Foreign Agents Registration Act filings submitted to the Justice Department, Mellor registered on June 16, 2026, identifying three Cuban foreign principals: the General Directorate of Personal Security, the Minister of Visas and the Minister of America Relations. The filing also identified Michael McEntee, a Florida associate, as involved in discussions about social media posts, internet-based communications and methods of improving communications between the United States and Cuba. Of course, under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, individuals engaged in certain activities on behalf of foreign principals are required to disclose their relationships and activities to the federal government.

Mellor’s registration followed visits to Cuba earlier in the year, including a meeting in late May with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, a grandson of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro. According to reporting by USA Today, Mellor traveled to Havana to deliver humanitarian supplies and discuss potential economic opportunities, meeting Rodríguez Castro during his visit. Mellor returned to Cuba in early June, continuing discussions that he characterized as efforts to promote business opportunities and improved relations between the two countries. The Cuban-American National Chamber of Commerce then subsequently disputed Mellor’s initial account that businesspeople associated with the organization had encouraged his visit, stating that it had neither endorsed nor organized the meeting.

Meanwhile, Federal Election Commission records show that Mellor’s campaign reported approximately $3.89 million in total receipts through October 14, 2026, a surprising amount given the district’s Democratic lean. Of that amount a total of $764,968.59 came from Mellor’s direct contributions and another $2,981,000 came from loans made by the candidate. Together these funds account for approximately 96% of the campaign’s reported receipts, making Mellor himself the principal source of its financing. The committee also reported approximately $3.84 million in expenditures and $44,352.63 in cash on hand at the end of the reporting period.

Though his initial foreign-agent registration reported no monetary receipts from the Cuban principals or other sources acting in their interests during the period covered by that filing, those disclosures may not independently establish the ultimate source of Mellor’s personal wealth or account for any subsequent transactions. The reviewed records certainly did not have gotchas attributing his campaign’s multimillion-dollar financing to Cuba, but perhaps that is to be expected, if one fancies the belief that the money had indeed originated from Havana.

Further questions concerning Mellor’s foreign relationships emerged in an October 27 investigation published by The Daily Wire, which examined McEntee’s involvement in both Cuba-related activities and domestic electoral politics. McEntee, who is separately registered as a foreign agent in connection with Cuban interests, was identified as the chairman of Rhode Island First, a newly formed political super PAC. The investigation reported that McEntee served as a liaison to Cuban officials while simultaneously holding a leadership position in the political organization.

According to the investigation, McEntee’s disclosed activities included discussions about social media messaging and communication strategies concerning Cuba. Rhode Island First had not disclosed any spending at the time of the October 27 report. Although super PACs are permitted to raise and spend unlimited amounts independently to influence federal elections, they are prohibited from coordinating those expenditures with candidates and cannot accept contributions from foreign nationals. The investigation, however, did not establish that the Cuban government had financed Mellor’s campaign or provided money to Rhode Island First.

Mellor has maintained that his activities involving Cuba were intended to encourage business opportunities for Americans and reduce tensions between the two countries. He also told The Daily Wire that his foreign-agent registration was a precautionary measure intended to ensure compliance with federal disclosure requirements. In an August interview with Ocean State Media, Mellor said that he had not spoken to the Cuban government since returning from his travels but was working with Rhode Island businesses to prepare for potential economic opportunities in Cuba.

Nevertheless, Mellor’s simultaneous roles as a congressional candidate and registered foreign agent have prompted questions about potential conflicts of interest, particularly given the restrictions governing relations between Washington and Havana. Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions or expenditures in connection with U.S. elections, while the Foreign Agents Registration Act establishes disclosure obligations for individuals engaged in covered activities on behalf of foreign principals.