Super PAC emerges to support independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- Though he has no national name recognition, is not yet on a single ballot in any state and he's only been a presidential candidate for a few days, little-known Republican congressional aide Evan McMullin has one thing going for him in his bid to become a conservative alternative to Donald Trump.

He's got a super PAC.

Two longtime supporters of finding credible third-party presidential candidates have signed on to help McMullin and have created Stand Up America, a super PAC to help raise funds to support the long-shot bid.

The group was formed by Khalil Byrd and Chris Ashby, two veterans of the independent political group Americans Elect, a group formed in advance of the 2012 presidential election that aimed, ultimately unsuccessfully, to nominate an independent candidate for president to challenge both Republicans and Democrats. The group set forth standards by which members could nominate the candidate, but none of those who stepped forward met the Americans Elect criteria to claim the nomination and thus no candidate ever ran under the experimental plan.

After Americans Elect flopped, Byrd signed onto the group Better for America in 2016, which held a similar goal of nominating an independent candidate for president. Byrd quit that group over the weekend in order to form Stand Up America to benefit McMullin.

McMullin is a former CIA officer, a former banker with Goldman Sachs, and, most recently, the policy director for the House Republican Conference. He's also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church.

"Stand Up America is a new Super PAC that is supporting McMullin through paid advertising, digital and grassroots organizing and events around the country," the group said in a statement. "The PAC is connecting and engaging with the millions of Americans who do not want to vote for either of the two major party candidates."