“Ron Paul is a kook.” Establishment Republicans have no doubt entertained that theory at one time or another.

For years the Texas congressman has stood on the fringe of his party, and has even left them — for example, when he ran as a Libertarian candidate during the 1988 presidential race – to make a case for his at-times outlandish politics, like his various claims over the years that “unconstitutional” Social Security should be phased out.

Paul’s past came back to haunt him last December when legendarily racist, homophobic and conspiracy-laden newsletters published under his name were again revisited. Though Paul at the time distanced himself from those letters by claiming not to have read every missive sent on his behalf, it has since been revealed he played a key role in crafting them.

Paul may now have to deal with that distraction once again, because NBC News found that a pro-Paul super PAC, Revolution PAC, is led by a man named Gary Franchi, a 9/11 “truther” who thinks the U.S. government played a role in the September 11 attacks. Franchi, the group’s chairman and treasurer, also part of the so-called “Patriot Movement” that believes the government is cracking down on domestic opposition, even going so far as to create “concentration camps” to contain internal enemies. Franchi also believes President Obama is trying to create a “youth army” to do his bidding. All of this, of course, reflects badly on his preferred candidate, Ron Paul, who also has suggested the government’s keeping 9/11-related secrets.

Revolution PAC isn’t the biggest super PAC working on Paul’s behalf, but it has raised $518,201 for his campaign over the past six months and spent $434,432 supporting Paul’s campaign, according to NBC news. Though Franchi points out he and Paul don’t hold all the same beliefs (“I am personally not a representative for Dr. Paul nor should my beliefs be construed to be his,” he told NBC) this report will without a doubt remind many Republicans how far out of the mainstream Paul has been and can be, thereby convincing more of the GOP that he’s simply not the right candidate to win against Barack Obama.