Ex-Romney campaign chief starts opposition research group

Mitt Romney's former campaign manager is launching a new GOP opposition research group to dig up dirt on Democratic candidates.

Matt Rhoades, who managed Romney's 2012 campaign, will launch America Rising to go toe-to-toe with similar groups on the Democratic side and attack potential 2016 Democratic candidates.

"We plan to start this enterprise because so many Republicans seem to agree there is a need on our side of the aisle for an entity that is focused solely on holding Democrats accountable for their actions and records using research, candidate tracking, rapid response and digital tools," Rhoades said in a statement to The Hill.

American Bridge did a particular amount of damage to Romney's 2012 campaign and hurt a number of other GOP candidates by digging up unflattering stories, pushing them in the media and giving that information to other outside groups to use in digital advertising. In America Rising's announcement, that group is specifically mentioned as one they hope to compete with and surpass.

Rhoades first made a name for himself as an opposition research expert, running the Republican National Committee's research team in 2004 as it helped damage then-Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) reputation. He was Romney's communications director in 2008.

Joining him are Tim Miller and Joe Pounder, who until recently had worked at the Republican National Committee. Pounder has a long track record in opposition research, while Miller is a communications expert who was Jon Huntsman's communications director during his presidential bid.

America Rising will have both a super-PAC arm to advertise as well as a nonprofit to do the research. The group hopes to be a go-to for opposition research and messaging and help the GOP catch up on the digital side against Democrats.

—Daniel Strauss contributed.

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