McConnell, his former staffers turned lobbyists who worked on the GOP’s “lopsided giveaway to corporations,” help raise funds for vulnerable incumbent

 

McConnell promised after Senator Collins voted for Kavanaugh: “Senator Collins will be well-funded, I can assure you”

 

The Wall Street Journal reports today that Mitch McConnell will “[spare] no expense” to prop up Senator Susan Collins after her “crucial” vote for the Republican tax giveaway that has blown up the deficit and laid the foundation for a toxic lawsuit that threatens to gut Mainers’ health care. Two McConnell-staffers-turned-lobbyists hosted a fundraiser for Senator Collins this week, and McConnell himself is headlining an event for her next month. McConnell's support comes, as promised, after Collins voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court -- over the objections of Maine unions that once supported Senator Collins.

 

From the Wall Street Journal:

 

MITCH MCCONNELL SPARES NO EXPENSE to bolster the candidacy of Maine Sen. Susan Collins. Two of his former aides who are now lobbyists at the white-shoe Akin Gump firm hosted a breakfast fundraiser for her on Wednesday in Washington, according to an invitation seen by The Wall Street Journal. One of the lobbyists, Brendan Dunn, was a top McConnell tax adviser and, like Collins, was crucial to the Republican tax law passing the Senate in 2017.

 

McConnell himself will be the special guest at an Oct. 21 fundraiser for Collins, according to another invitation viewed by the Journal. Collins is also being aided by Blackstone Group LP billionaire Stephen Schwarzman, who gave $500,000 to 1820 PAC, an unaffiliated group that plans to spend heavily advertising on her behalf.

 

After 22 years in Washington, Senator Collins has grown increasingly out-of-touch with Mainers, and it shows -- her approval numbers are at an “all-time low” and she’s leaning on wealthy out-of-state allies and hardline anti-choice activists for support, while “only about 5 percent” of her most recent fundraising haul came from Mainers.

 

Read the story online here.

 

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