Akin Campaign Received Last-Minute Cash Infusion From GOP Senatorial Comm., Records Show

December 10, 2012 — After vowing it would do nothing to help him win, the National Republican Senatorial Committee in early November gave $760,000 to the campaign of Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) -- a candidate for Senate who sparked controversy with comments about "legitimate rape," the Washington Post's "Post Politics" reports (Weiner, "Post Politics," Washington Post, 12/7). Akin lost to incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), 39% to 55%.

Recently released campaign finance reports show transfers of $360,000 on Nov. 1 and $400,000 on Nov. 2 from the NRSC to the Missouri State Republican Party (Weisman, "The Caucus," New York Times, 12/7). The funds apparently were used for television advertising for Akin's campaign.

The transfers came after NRSC Chair John Cornyn (R-Texas) said the committee was "done" with Akin. However, Cornyn alluded to the financial help in a post-election interview, saying, "We needed to do what we needed to do to help win Senate seats."

Matt Cantor, a spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said of the NRSC financial reports, "It is not only wrong that the NRSC would provide funds to support a dangerous extremist like Todd Akin, it was underhanded and dishonest that they would purposely mislead the public about their actions" (Bresnahan/Raju, Politico, 12/6).