Defectors in Speaker vote took campaign cash from Boehner

By Mario Trujillo - 01/04/13 02:00 PM ET

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) helped fund the elections of many of the Republicans who opposed his Speakership on Thursday.

His leadership PAC, Freedom Project, gave a total of $45,000 in campaign contributions to seven of the 12 Republicans who either abstained or voted against his reelection as Speaker on Thursday, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Boehner is known for his fundraising prowess, and it is common for party leadership to donate to a large swath of the caucus. He doled out a total of $1.6 million to 194 Republican House candidates this election cycle, not including the money he raised for the party committees and his super-PAC.

House Republicans reelected Boehner as Speaker on Thursday with 220 votes. Boehner suffered 12 defections — a contrast to 2011, when he was was backed unanimously by the Republican Conference.

Two of the members who abstained from voting for Speaker — Reps. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho) and Mick Mulvaney (S.C.) — received $10,000 each from the Speaker.

Another member who voted “present,” freshman Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas), received $5,000 in campaign help from Boehner. Stockman said he opposed Boehner’s Speakership bid because of his handling of House conservatives and the “fiscal cliff” deal.

The three House Republicans who voted for Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) as Speaker — Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) and two freshmen, Reps. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) and Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) — also received $5,000 each from Boehner.

Five of the other House Republicans who voted against Boehner received nothing from his political action committee, including three members who were stripped of committee assignments last month for bucking leadership — Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.), Tim Huelskamp (Kan.) and Walter Jones (N.C.).

Huelskamp ran unopposed this election cycle.

Reps. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) and Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) also didn’t receive money from Boehner. In 2012, Broun ran unopposed, while Gohmert won reelection with 70 percent of the vote.

On the Democratic side, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) faced five defections. Her leadership PAC donated to only one of those members, giving $10,000 to Blue Dog Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah).