Vice President Mike Pence directed a raft of donations to endangered GOP incumbents on Wednesday, one day after a Washington Examiner story highlighted some internal party griping that his political action committee's first round of giving last year prioritized Republicans in safe seats.
Pence's federal leadership PAC, Great American Committee, cut checks to more 30 congressional Republicans on the 2018 ballot, most of them facing competitive re-election battles. Politico first reported the news. It was confirmed by Marty Obst, a Pence political adviser who helps oversee the PAC.
The donations were planned, but some Republican insiders felt that vulnerable incumbents should have had first call on the PAC's money. Instead, Great America Committee contributed more than $172,000 late last year to more than two dozen Republicans who are expected to cruise to re-election but had one thing in common: They have been loyal to President Trump.
The PAC raised about $1.8 million in 2017, and closed the year with just under $900,000 in the bank.
This year, Pence plans to be heavily involved in defending Republican House and Senate majorities. As a part of that, he is entering into a joint fundraising agreement with the National Republican Congressional Committee and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to help raise resources for a midterm election shaping up as an anti-Trump backlash.
