AIPAC to allocate up to $9 million to Republican committee supporting Mike Rogers to stop Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan
The pro-Israel group will fund a political action committee supporting Mike Rogers, after having previously invested money to try to defeat Abdul El-Sayed in the Democratic primary. The new contribution comes in the final stretch of one of the nation's most hotly contested Senate races.
The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), one of the country's leading pro-Israel groups, plans to allocate up to $9 million to a political action committee backing Republican Mike Rogers, a Senate candidate from Michigan, in his race against the Democrat and opponent of Israel Abdul El-Sayed.
According to a report published Wednesday by The New York Times, the organization has begun making contributions in recent days to the Great Lakes Conservatives Fund, a super PAC dedicated exclusively to supporting Rogers. Two people familiar with the plans, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that the contribution could reach $9 million.
The decision is significant because AIPAC, which also backs numerous Democrats, has almost never supported a Republican in a competitive general election. The organization had already invested significant sums to try to prevent El-Sayed from winning the Democratic primary.
The funding comes after the Rogers campaign initially expressed reservations about aligning with AIPAC, whose endorsement became a contentious issue during this year's primary.
However, during a debate held on October 8, Rogers opened the door to the group's involvement when, upon being asked about its support, he replied that he would accept "all that help."
An investment in the final stretch of the campaign
The contribution to the Great Lakes Conservatives Fund was made after October 14, the deadline that would have required it to be disclosed before Election Day. On Friday, the committee announced a $4.6 million investment in advertising in Michigan.
AIPAC declined to comment on its spending in this race, while the pro-Rogers committee did not respond to a request for comment.
The organization had already shown caution regarding a new investment against El-Sayed. In August, the newspaper reported that Rogers feared that too close an association with AIPAC could backfire with voters.
During the three weeks prior to the publication of the report, AIPAC's super PAC had reported spending less than $300,000 in Michigan, earmarked for mailing campaign literature to Jewish voters in the state.
Rogers and El-Sayed clash over their loyalties in final debate
One of the most tense exchanges occurred when Rogers again linked El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, an accusation that both Trump and the Republican have also leveled in recent weeks. El-Sayed has denied any ties to the group and called it "shameful" that his commitment to the U.S. Constitution was being questioned.
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