A pair of House Republicans want their donations returned from a primary challenger to an incumbent GOP lawmaker after 6-month-old tweets emerged in which the candidate described himself with the hashtag “#racist.”
Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-highest ranking House Republican, and Ohio Rep. Mike Turner both recently donated to Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie’s primary challenger, attorney Todd McMurtry.
It was an unusual move since party leaders almost always back incumbents. But Massie has been a target of the House Republican leadership since he demanded a roll-call vote be taken for the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package by Congress and President Trump. Massie’s effort to do so failed after leaders of both parties brought 216 members to the floor and gallery in order to constitute a quorum, though many blamed him for forcing their trips back to Washington, D.C., under adverse conditions due to the coronavirus.
On Saturday, Massie, a libertarian-leaning Republican first elected in 2012, chided Cheney and Turner for supporting McMurtry, who last year gained national attention as an attorney representing a Covington Catholic High School student in a defamation lawsuit against CNN. Massie posted an October 2019 tweet by McMurtry recalling a Texas trip, which included the hashtag “#racist” and a profanity.
“I am in Austin this weekend. Glad to be in this group. #redneck #racist #f—wit Just had the best BBQ of my life,” McMurtry tweeted.
Massie seized on the tweet to taunt his House Republican colleagues over their donations to his primary rival.
“.@RepLizCheney is the @HouseGOP Chair, guides House GOP messaging, runs all House GOP meetings, and is actively working to elect this guy. Is this her vision for the GOP Conference?”
.@RepLizCheney is the @HouseGOP Chair, guides House GOP messaging, runs all House GOP meetings, and is actively working to elect this guy. Is this her vision for the GOP Conference? https://t.co/Qc627DR1PC
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 18, 2020
Cheney soon chimed in on Twitter to announce she wanted her McMurtry donation returned.
“We as Republicans must not condone racism in any form,” Cheney said. “Last night I was alerted to tweets by a candidate to whom my political action committee made a contribution. After reviewing the tweets, I asked that the contribution be returned.”
We as Republicans must not condone racism in any form. Last night I was alerted to tweets by a candidate to whom my political action committee made a contribution. After reviewing the tweets, I asked that the contribution be returned.
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) April 18, 2020
Turner echoed Cheney, prompting further ribbing by Massie.
.@RepMikeTurner doesn’t even have words for getting caught inviting racism into the party. It’s #refundseason https://t.co/SEaiK2FNuV
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 18, 2020
Massie, 49, has been on the outs with House Republican leadership. The MIT-educated engineer cuts an unusual swath on Capitol Hill, at times openly challenging his party’s leadership over what he calls a lack of fiscal discipline and insufficient fealty to constitutional principles. Massie recently criticized the coronavirus economic relief law after tweeting out that his friend’s deceased father received a stimulus check for $1,200.
McMurtry’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
