Indiana senator Joe Donnelly has felt heat from his Republican opponent Mike Braun ever since announcing his decision to oppose Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court, but the heat is being turned up after his campaign began raising money off the decision.
Donnelly, one of the most vulnerable Democrats up for reelection, was considered to be a possible supporter for Kavanaugh but announced his opposition late last week. Now, Braun's campaign is accusing him of "cashing in" on the decision.
"If voting against President Trump’s highly qualified nominee wasn't enough, now Senator Donnelly is raising money off his opposition to Judge Kavanaugh," said Braun spokesman Josh Kelley. "The media circus Democrats like Donnelly and Kamala Harris have created to smear Judge Kavanaugh is a disgrace, and Hoosiers should be appalled that Donnelly is cashing in on it to advance his political career."
Donnelly's fundraising was first caught by National Journal's Hanna Trudo, who spotted an email sent on Donnelly's behalf by Democratic colleague Kamala Harris, who has been one of Kavanaugh's fiercest critics.
.@KamalaHarris, in a fundraising email titled, "Re: Kavanaugh’s nomination," asks "to rush a donation of $10 or more to Joe Donnelly’s re-election campaign" pic.twitter.com/l9rdgZhY2J
— Hanna Trudo (@HCTrudo) October 4, 2018
Braun's race against Donnelly is one of the closest Senate contests in the country, according to public polls.