I was intrigued by “a political operative” in the hearings. It is not being reported as far as I have heard. The legal requests to the head of Safe America llc. The link has a summary, but the formal letter from the Senate is certainly very intimidating in form. I couldn’t link that pdf. 

Michael McElwain is a partner in the Republican media marketing firm Designated Market Media (DMM).

McElwain served as deputy political director at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) in the 2000 election cycle "as Republicans held the House." In the 1998 cycle, he served as NRCC southern field representative. McElwain also "managed state legislative races in Virginia and Texas" and served as "deputy political director, Colorado Republican Party."\[1\]

In April 2001, McElwain was promoted to NRCC political director, making "him the highest-ranking Republican strategist". McElwain had "control \[of\] an operating budget expected to exceed $150 million. His responsibilities will include developing a national political strategy, which will aim to increase the Republican Party's majority in the U.S. House of Representatives."\[2\]

McElwain replaced Terry Nelson at the NRCC, who left to found Dawson McCarthy Nelson Media, a firm affiliated with DMM.

McElwain is mentioned as NRCC political director during both the 2004 and 2006\[3\] election cycles, but was identified in May 2007 as a partner in Dawson McCarthy McElwain Media (DMMM), which would appear to be the successor to DMNM.\[4\]

Writing November 4, 2006, on the eve of the 2006 congressional elections, Charlie Cook of the National Journal said that "In the NRCC campaign division, Mike McElwain and Jonathan Poe are among the most talented operatives ever to work at any House or Senate party committee. A GOP debacle, if it materializes, will be in spite of them, not because of them."\[5\]

Safe America - Noem’s undoing