Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said Tuesday that he’s “seen nothing but sincerity and desire” from former aide Jesse Benton as he’s managed the re-election campaign of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
A phone recording surfaced last week in which Benton can be heard saying that he’s holding his nose while working for McConnell, suggesting that he’s only serving in his current capacity to bolster Paul’s 2016 prospects. Benton, who managed Paul’s successful 2010 U.S. Senate campaign, acknowledged that he saw “hurt” in McConnell’s eyes after the recording was made public, but Paul laughed off the controversy.
“The funny thing about that is I know the campaign manager well and I’ve been on the campaign bus with him before, and I’m guessing it’s McConnell who has to hold his nose sometimes,” Paul told Charlie Rose on “CBS This Morning.”
When Rose asked Paul what he meant by that, the senator said, “We’ll have to just let that stand as is, you know.”
“But, I’ve met and worked with the campaign manager and I’ve seen nothing but sincerity and desire, really, to have Senator McConnell re-elected and I think he’ll do everything within his power to make that happen,” Paul said.
Paul said that although some polls have indicated that McConnell is in for a tough re-election campaign against Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, the GOP leader will benefit from the Bluegrass State’s conservative tilt.
