The Club for Growth brushed aside the Republican campaign committees Friday, hiring a firm that the official party organs have blacklisted.
Jamestown Associates was blacklisted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee last year for their work for Senate Conservatives Fund, an outside conservative group who has endorsed candidates mounting primary challenges to incumbents — the party is supporting all incumbents this cycle.
“We’re not going to do business with people who profit off of attacking Republicans,” Brad Dayspring, the NRSC communications director, told The New York Times. “Purity for profit is a disease that threatens the Republican Party.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee followed suit, National Journal reported this month, announcing that they, too, would not give the company any business this cycle.
The Club for Growth put out a statement Friday that appeared specifically designed to razz the committees for blacklisting the group.
“We’ve long admired Jamestown Associates for their creativity, winning record in tough campaigns, and the quality of their product,” said Club for Growth President Chris Chocola in a statement Friday. “When we heard recently that they would have more time to work with Club for Growth Action we immediately seized the opportunity. We look forward to the opportunity to utilize their services on races like Chris McDaniel’s in Mississippi and Ben Sasse’s in Nebraska.”
Chris McDaniel is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Thad Cochran, whom the NRSC is backing. Both the Club for Growth and the Senate Conservatives Fund have endorsed him.
The move highlights the split between the party committees and outside groups, like the Club and SCF, who have been very much at odds this cycle. One particular flashpoint has been the Kentucky Senate race, where SCF is backing Matt Bevin, a businessman who is primarying Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“The free market is a wonderful thing,” said NRSC spokesperson Brook Hogueson. The NRCC declined to comment.