Senate GOP campaign arm inflates April fundraising

PHILIP ELLIOTT
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans’ campaign arm overstated its cash savings by $2.6 million in a summary to reporters, a spokesman for the committee acknowledged Thursday.

National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Brad Dayspring last week said the committee raised $6 million in April and had $21.9 million saved.

Relying on the summary from Dayspring, The Associated Press reported that figure in several stories.

The full Federal Election Commission reported the correct cash-on-hand number as almost $19.3 million.

When asked about the discrepancy Thursday, Dayspring said the error had been an accident and blamed reporters for repeating it.

“After repeated inquires by the AP to reveal numbers early as a favor to one of their reporters who was going on vacation, there was a typo made. It seems that other outlets repeated that coverage in the rush to report this news before the FEC report was filed,” Dayspring said in a statement.

Senate Republicans have trailed the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in fundraising on 14 of the last 16 monthly finance reports. In terms of cash on hand, Republicans trailed in 15 of the last 16 months.

Senate Democrats’ campaign arm raised $6.3 million in April and has $25 million banked to defend its majority in November’s midterm elections.

Republicans need to pick up six Senate seats to claim control of that chamber.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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