Is Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA) pulling down some of his campaign TV ads so he can save campaign funds for his legal defense?
Two days after launching a new advertisement, U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon has canceled some of his TV time, fueling speculation Friday he was throwing in the towel and saving money for a legal defense fund. The campaign denied the rumors, saying it was merely redirecting cash to “Tele-Town Halls” to reach out to moderate Republicans and independents in the final days of the campaign.
“Weâre not pulling anything. Weâre scaling a few things back,” said Weldon spokesman Michael Puppio.
With the National Republican Congressional Committee spending $653,700 this week for ads opposing Democrat Joseph Sestak, Puppio said the campaignâs money would be better spent funding telephone forums that enable Weldon to answer live questions from voters.
If Weldon is in fact hoarding campaign funds for later use in his own legal defense while relying on NRCC funds to keep him on TV, I’m thinking the NRCC is going to be none too happy about it.
Late update: The Philadelphia Inquirer has a similar report, but with a slightly different take, noting that the NRCC has already shifted its money from the Weldon race to other Pennsylvania congressional races, which would seem to undermine the Weldon campaign’s claim that pulling down some of its TV ads is simply a tactical shift. (Thanks to TPM Reader DL).
