As part of their efforts to avoid the unforced errors that have cost them in the last two elections, Republicans have been playing “hardball” with would-be donors to a leading tea party group.
FreedomWorks chief Matt Kibbe told the New York Times in a story published Monday that leading Republican lawmakers have done their part to block donations to his group.
“I’ve been told by a number of donors to our ‘super PAC’ that they’ve received calls from senior Republican senators,” Kibbe told the Times.
Kibbe said those donors simply told him, “I can’t give to you because I’ve been told I won’t have access to Republican leadership.”
“So they’re playing hardball,” Kibbe said.
FreedomWorks is backing a number of conservative candidates trying to unseat GOP incumbents such as Mitch McConnell in Kentucky.
And while the effort has drawn the ire of Republican leadership, Kibbe doesn’t mind his insurgent role. In October, he suggested that there’s a “real possibility” that the GOP splits into two factions.
