Following the Washington Post‘s explosive story about Alabama GOP Senate hopeful Roy Moore allegedly having sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl when he was 32, Republicans have had mixed reactions. Mike Pence and Mitt Romney shunned Moore, yet multiple senators awkwardly smiled while refusing to answer questions, and Sean Hannity got messy with a defense. However, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has made their stance clear. They’re cutting all financial ties with the candidate, and an FEC filing from a Moore fundraising committee (the Alabama 2017 Senate Victory Committee) reflects the NRSC’s decision, per the Daily Beast:
A joint fundraising committee benefitting Moore and a handful of Republican Party organs filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Friday removing the National Republican Senatorial Committee as one of its beneficiaries. Going forward, the committee’s fundraising will benefit Moore’s Senate campaign, the Alabama Republican Party, and the Republican National Committee but not the NRSC.
However, the Beast notes that Alabama Republicans are largely siding with Moore with local officials even describing Moore’s alleged acts as “not terribly different from biblical tales.” Indeed, CNN reports that Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler called the story “a little bit unusual” but not all that distinct from Joseph and Mary. “Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter,” insisted Zeigler. “They became parents of Jesus.” Of course, Zeigler never mentioned that the Biblical conception of Jesus happened via the Holy Spirit.
As for Moore himself, he preemptively denied the WaPo report to Breitbart and even sent out a fundraising email to trash the allegations against him. He looks to be standing firm and looking forward to election day on Dec. 12.
(Via FEC.gov, Daily Beast & CNN)