Who is Marty O'Donnell?
Marty O'Donnell is a 70-year-old retired video game music composer best known for scoring the Halo franchise at Bungie. Born in Pennsylvania and based most of his career in Chicago and Seattle, he moved to the Las Vegas area around 2021 — roughly five years ago. He has zero government experience at any level.
In March 2025, he announced his candidacy for Nevada's 3rd Congressional District, immediately loaning his campaign $3 million of his own money. His campaign website, martyforcongress.vote, features the slogan "One good job should be enough" and positions him as a champion of working families tired of special interests.
But O'Donnell's public record — documented in court filings, FEC disclosures, election results, and his own social media posts — reveals a pattern that fundamentally conflicts with that image.
Found in contempt of court for violating a judicial injunction, ordered to pay ~$100,000 in penalties.
Fired from Bungie for conduct deemed "unacceptable" — disrupting press events and clashing with management.
Worth $21 million to $74 million while campaigning as a "working families" champion.
Finished 4th out of 4 serious candidates in the 2024 NV-03 Republican primary — despite the governor's endorsement and $330K in advertising.
96% self-funded. Of $3.15 million raised, only $112,000 came from actual donors.
Found in Contempt of Court
This is the single most damaging fact in Marty O'Donnell's public record, and it is fully documented in court filings.
After O'Donnell was fired from Bungie in 2014, the two parties entered into litigation and arbitration over compensation. As part of the proceedings, a court issued an injunction ordering O'Donnell to return all proprietary Bungie and Destiny-related assets and to refrain from distributing them.
O'Donnell violated that court order.
Between 2019 and 2021, he uploaded proprietary musical material — assets that belonged to Bungie under the court's injunction — to YouTube and Bandcamp, making them publicly available to his fans. When Bungie brought the violation to the court's attention, Judge Regina Cahan found O'Donnell in contempt of court on July 12, 2021.
1. Pay Bungie approximately $100,000 in legal fees as sanctions.
2. Post public retractions on his social media accounts.
3. Instruct his fans to destroy any copies they had downloaded.
4. Submit to a forensic examination of his personal electronic devices.
This is not a political attack. It is a documented, adjudicated court finding. A judge determined that Marty O'Donnell knowingly defied a federal court order and imposed serious penalties as a result.
A candidate for Congress who has been found in contempt of court asks voters to trust him with the power to make laws. The question writes itself: if he wouldn't follow a court order, why would he follow the Constitution?
Fired from Bungie for "Unacceptable" Conduct
In April 2014, Marty O'Donnell was terminated from Bungie — the studio he had helped build over 14 years as its audio director and a member of its board of directors. This was not a mutual parting or a retirement. He was fired.
Court documents from the subsequent litigation describe the circumstances:
O'Donnell subsequently sued and won a partial victory: an arbitrator found that Bungie had improperly withheld 192,188 shares of vested stock and awarded him $142,500 plus stock restoration. He was vindicated on compensation — but the termination for conduct was never overturned.
When team members from Bungie later formed a new studio, company policies reportedly included an explicit ban on consulting Marty O'Donnell — an unusually specific institutional decision suggesting the workplace concerns went well beyond a single disagreement.
"Bungie Made Better Games When It Was a 'Boy's Club'"
O'Donnell's own words provide a window into his workplace attitudes.
A publicly circulated screenshot from his Discord server shows O'Donnell writing:
"Heh, well [Bungie] made better games when it was a 'boy's club'. I still remember trying to erase the artists' white boards before women came to visit. I'll never understand how [a female colleague] tolerated it." — Marty O'Donnell, Discord server (screenshot publicly circulated)
This comment was made in the context of broader sexual harassment allegations at Bungie. Former colleague Lorraine McLees — a longtime Bungie artist — publicly alleged that O'Donnell had harassed her and other women at the studio.
McLees' allegations have not been adjudicated in court. However, O'Donnell's own words — reminiscing about the studio as a "boy's club" and recounting efforts to hide inappropriate content from women visiting the office — are documented in his own writing and speak for themselves.
For NV-03's suburban women voters — the decisive swing bloc in this district — these comments deserve serious consideration.
The $74 Million "Working Families" Champion
Marty O'Donnell's central campaign message is: "One good job should be enough." He positions himself as fighting for working families against special interests and big corporations.
His FEC financial disclosure tells a very different story.
Would make him among the 25 wealthiest members of the House
The contradiction between O'Donnell's populist messaging and his documented financial reality is structural:
| What He Says | What the Record Shows |
|---|---|
| "Tired of special interests and big corporations" | Holds millions in Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia stock. His wealth is Big Tech corporate wealth. |
| "Working families" champion | Collects $55,000–$115,000 per year in rental income from Las Vegas tenants. He profits from working families' housing costs. |
| "No corporate PAC money" pledge | Self-funds with $3 million from corporate-derived personal wealth. He swapped PAC dependency for plutocratic self-funding. |
| "I've employed over a thousand people" | Was a salaried employee at a corporate-owned game studio. He never ran a company with 1,000 employees. |
| "Grassroots movement" | Only ~$112,000 in individual contributions vs. $3M self-loan. That's 96% self-funded with zero grassroots support. |
96% Self-Funded: A Campaign Without Voters
Marty O'Donnell's FEC filings through Q4 2025 reveal a campaign that exists because one wealthy individual wills it — not because voters are asking for it.
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Receipts | $3,154,409 |
| Self-Loans (candidate) | $3,000,000 |
| Individual Contributions | $112,459 |
| Itemized (over $200) | $66,390 |
| Unitemized (under $200) | $46,069 |
| PAC Contributions | $1,000 (one PAC) |
| Cash on Hand | $2,747,871 |
| Outstanding Debt (self-loans) | $3,000,000 |
Of every dollar in O'Donnell's campaign, 96 cents came from his own pocket. Actual Nevada voters have contributed virtually nothing. His entire $2.75 million cash reserve is offset by $3 million in self-loans — the campaign is technically operating at a net negative.
In Q4 2025, after front-loading $3M in the spring, O'Donnell added just $7,000 in new contributions — signaling either donor disinterest or self-funding fatigue.
If voters won't donate to his campaign, why would they vote for him?
His campaign is managed by Red Leaf Consultants — the same firm that ran Governor Lombardo's 2022 campaign. He hosts a podcast, "The Marty O'Donnell Show," with over 25 episodes featuring guests including controversial figures like the "Raw Egg Nationalist." None of this has translated into measurable grassroots support in NV-03.
Dead Last in 2024 — With the Governor's Endorsement
This is not Marty O'Donnell's first attempt at this seat. In 2024, he ran in the NV-03 Republican primary. He had two significant advantages: the endorsement of Governor Joe Lombardo and $330,000 in broadcast advertising.
He finished last among all serious candidates.
| Candidate | Result | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Drew Johnson | 31.1% Won | Tax analyst; won on lower spending |
| Dan Schwartz | 24.3% | Former State Treasurer; self-funded $800K |
| Elizabeth Helgelien | ~23% | Former State Senator; institutional support |
| Marty O'Donnell | 21% Last | Governor's endorsement + $330K in ads = worst result |
The governor's endorsement demonstrably failed to move voters. O'Donnell outspent rivals on broadcast advertising and still finished behind every serious competitor. The candidate who did win subsequently lost the general election to Susie Lee by just 2.8 points — even as Trump carried the district.
NV-03 is a premier Republican pickup opportunity — Cook PVI D+1, tightening margins cycle after cycle. Republicans cannot afford to nominate a candidate who already proved he can't win. O'Donnell had money, an endorsement, and name recognition. Voters said no.
Conditional Candidacy: "I Will Bow Out"
O'Donnell has publicly stated:
"If I am not privileged to receive the President's endorsement, I will bow out of the race." — Marty O'Donnell, public campaign statement
This conditional candidacy says everything about his commitment to NV-03. He's not running to serve the district — he's running to audition for an endorsement. If the endorsement doesn't come, he walks away. What kind of commitment is that to 800,000 Nevadans?
The Pattern Is the Point
Any one of these facts might be explained away individually. Together, they form a pattern that NV-03 voters should consider carefully:
A pattern of defying authority. Fired from his own company for disruptive conduct. Found in contempt of court for violating a judicial order. Now he wants voters to entrust him with the power to write the laws the rest of us follow.
A pattern of saying one thing and doing another. Campaigns as a working-families champion with a net worth of up to $74 million. Pledges "no corporate PAC money" while self-funding with corporate-derived wealth. Claims grassroots support while 96% of his money comes from his own checkbook.
A pattern of losing. Finished dead last in 2024 with every advantage. Now he's back — same candidate, same self-funded model, same race — expecting a different result.
A pattern that raises character questions. Reminisced publicly about his company being a "boy's club." His former colleagues didn't just fire him — they wrote policies to keep him away. His successor's studio maintained an explicit ban on even consulting him.
NV-03 is the most competitive House seat in Nevada. The next Republican nominee will face a well-funded, four-term incumbent in a D+1 district. Winning requires a candidate with credibility, broad support, and a clean record.
Marty O'Donnell brings none of those things. He brings money — his own — and a record that will be a liability the moment it enters the spotlight.
Republican primary voters deserve to know the full record before they make their choice. Now you do.
Every Claim Is Documented
All findings on this page are based on publicly available records. Nothing has been fabricated, exaggerated, or taken from anonymous sources. Every claim can be independently verified.
Court & Legal Records
- 1. O'Donnell v. Bungie, Inc. — King County Superior Court, Case No. 14-2-15816-2 SEA. Includes termination circumstances, arbitration findings, and the September 2015 ruling restoring 192,188 shares + $142,500.
- 2. Contempt of Court Ruling — King County Superior Court, July 12, 2021. Judge Regina Cahan. Finding of contempt for violating injunction; sanctions of approximately $100,000 in attorney fees; orders for public retractions and device forensic examination.
- 3. Bungie, Inc. v. O'Donnell — Related proceedings regarding proprietary asset distribution on YouTube/Bandcamp in violation of court order (2019–2021).
FEC Filings & Campaign Finance
- 4. FEC Candidate Page: Martin O'Donnell — Federal Election Commission, fec.gov/data/candidate/H6NV03274/. Filings through Q4 2025: $3,154,409 total receipts, $3,000,000 self-loans, $112,459 individual contributions, $2,747,871 cash on hand.
- 5. FEC Financial Disclosure — Personal financial disclosure filed with the House of Representatives. Reports net worth range of $21M–$74M, including major tech stock holdings (Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia), former employer equity (192,188+ shares), and Las Vegas rental property income ($55K–$115K/year).
- 6. OpenSecrets: Martin O'Donnell — opensecrets.org. Donor analysis, contribution breakdowns, and self-funding data.
Election Results
- 7. 2024 NV-03 Republican Primary Results — Nevada Secretary of State, certified results. O'Donnell: 21% (4th place). Drew Johnson: 31.1% (1st). Dan Schwartz: 24.3% (2nd). Elizabeth Helgelien: ~23% (3rd).
- 8. 2024 NV-03 General Election Results — Susie Lee (D) defeated Drew Johnson (R) by 2.8 points (50.4%–47.6%). Trump carried the district by ~1 point.
- 9. Cook Political Report: NV-03 — Partisan Voter Index: D+1. Rated as competitive/toss-up for 2026.
News Reporting & Public Statements
- 10. Bungie Termination Coverage — Multiple gaming and tech outlets reported on O'Donnell's April 2014 firing, including IGN, Kotaku, Polygon, and Game Informer. Details of workplace conduct from court filings.
- 11. Contempt of Court Coverage — Eurogamer, VGC, PC Gamer, and other outlets reported on the July 2021 contempt finding, sanctions, and fan-directed destruction orders.
- 12. Lorraine McLees' Allegations — McLees' public statements regarding workplace harassment at Bungie, made on social media and in interviews with gaming press during the broader investigation into Bungie workplace culture.
- 13. Discord "Boy's Club" Screenshot — Publicly circulated screenshot from O'Donnell's Discord server. O'Donnell's own words in a public online forum.
- 14. "Bow Out" Statement — O'Donnell's public statement conditioning his candidacy on receiving a presidential endorsement. Widely reported in Nevada political media.
- 15. The Nevada Independent — Campaign finance reporting, January/February 2026. Coverage of NV-03 primary field, fundraising totals, and candidate positioning. thenevadaindependent.com
- 16. Ballotpedia: Marty O'Donnell — Candidate biography, election history, and campaign details. ballotpedia.org/Marty_O'Donnell
Campaign & Public Records
- 17. martyforcongress.vote — O'Donnell's official campaign website. Platform positions, About section, policy priorities.
- 18. Governor Lombardo 2024 Endorsement — Public endorsement of O'Donnell in the 2024 NV-03 primary. Documented in Nevada political coverage and campaign materials.
- 19. Red Leaf Consultants — Campaign management firm. Previously managed Lombardo's 2022 gubernatorial campaign.
- 20. "The Marty O'Donnell Show" Podcast — 25+ episodes on YouTube, including interviews with controversial guests. Public content available for review.
This page relies exclusively on open-source, publicly available information: court filings and arbitration decisions, FEC financial disclosures, Nevada Secretary of State voter records, official election results, published news investigations, Ballotpedia candidate data, and public social media posts. No anonymous sources, no fabricated claims, no speculation. If it's on this page, it's in the public record.