(Updated to include comments from Marshall campaign, Emily’s List)
Democratic interests put more than $5 million into a political action committee that took aim at Congressman Roger Marshall in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate while boosting rival Kris Kobach.
A new report filed by Women Vote! shows it gave the Sunflower State PAC $1 million on July 16 and another $750,000 on July 18.
The PAC filed its report late Thursday showing that it raised another $3.55 million from the Senate Majority PAC, which has ties to allies of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The contributions confirm that the PAC had Democratic connections. Emily’s List is backing Democrat Barbara Bollier in the Senate race.
Politico reported both contributions first on Thursday.
“Sunflower State aired more than $5 million worth of ads laying out the worst parts of Congressman Marshall’s record, including his shady backroom deal to escape a conviction for nearly running over his neighbor and taking his pay in a government shutdown,” Emily’s List spokesman Ben Ray said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for National Republican Senatorial Committee blasted the contributions from the Democratic groups for trying to influence the Republican primary.
“It’s a testament to what a weak candidate Barbara Bollier is that national Democrats threw away $5 million in a desperate attempt to get her an easier opponent,” Joanna Rodriguez said in a statement,
“Bollier is running as Chuck Schumer’s candidate and his financial and political backing is the only thing keeping her campaign afloat. Their general election efforts will end the same way their primary meddling did: in a huge loss and a colossal waste of time.”
The PAC drew suspicions early on when it booked ads through Old Towne Media, the Alexandria, Virginia-based media buying firm used by former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
The PAC used a private mail box at a UPS Store as its address in Lawrence, listing Jim Jesse as its treasurer.
Jesse is a Lawrence attorney who also was treasurer of the Bluestem Fund, a political action committee once chaired by former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
Jesse also had donated to Democratic candidates in Kansas.
The ad built up Kobach, portraying him as a strong conservative, uncompromising on building a border wall and refusing to back down from getting tough on China, all themes that might have resonated with a Republican primary audience.
Meanwhile, the ad depicted Marshall as a “phony” politician who is soft in his support for President Donald Trump, weak on immigration and who went easy on China but talks tough now.
“Roger Marshall: fake, fake, fake,” the ad said.
“Chuck Schumer’s friends in the D.C. abortion lobby tried to save Bollier’s chances in a shady and dishonest way, and Kansans saw right through it,” Marshall campaign spokesman Eric Pahls said in a statement.
“They wasted their cash, and we couldn’t be happier to have help them do it,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the Bollier campaign declined comment.
