Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) is behind the mysterious group attacking the top Republican Senate candidate in Montana, his political action committee confirmed Friday.
Last Best Place PAC has spent nearly $6 million in just five months on television ads against Tim Sheehy, a Montana businessman seeking the Republican nomination. Sheehy is leading in primary polls over likely challenger Rep. Matt Rosendale (R.) and is widely considered the more competitive candidate in a general election against incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D.).
The admission from Senate Majority PAC, which works closely with Schumer, is the latest example of left-wing meddling in GOP primaries. The Montana Democratic Party, the Huffington Post reported, has also run Facebook ads in support of Rosendale.
Sheehy has been endorsed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which seeks to avoid a drawn-out primary. The group's communications director, Mike Berg, called Last Best Place PAC another "dirty trick" from the Democratic Party.
"It's been clear for months that Chuck Schumer was behind this shady effort to meddle in Montana's Republican primary, but now we have confirmation," Berg told the Washington Free Beacon. "Democrats know Jon Tester will lose if Tim Sheehy is the nominee."
Most of Last Best Place PAC's ads against Sheehy have focused on his business career. The group has not disclosed any of its donors, although its first filing to the Federal Election Commission is due at the end of the month.
Senate Majority PAC spent millions of dollars in the last election cycle's Republican primaries, donating money to what it perceived to be the weaker candidate. New Hampshire Republican Don Bolduc, who challenged Democratic senator Maggie Hassan, enjoyed more than $3 million in support from the group. Bolduc lost his race by nearly 10 points.
Rosendale is widely expected to announce his candidacy in the next two months. He ran against Tester in 2018 and lost by 4 points.