Americans for Prosperity Action, the organization supported by billionaire Charles Koch, is temporarily halting its financial backing for GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s campaign. This decision comes a day after Haley’s defeat to former President Donald Trump in the South Carolina primary, her home state.
AFP Action clarified that it continues to endorse Haley for president, but its support will now be expressed verbally rather than through financial contributions.
In an email to workers, AFP Action CEO Emily Seidel stated,”Given the challenges in the primary states ahead, we don’t believe any outside group can make a material difference to widen her path to victory. And so while we will continue to endorse her, we will focus our resources where we can make the difference.”
AFP Action declined to offer additional comments beyond the staff memo. The organization ceasing financial support is another blow for the former South Carolina governor, who has faced a series of setbacks since the beginning of the election year. In addition to AFP Action, billionaire Reid Hoffman has also halted funding for Haley’s presidential campaign.
Despite these challenges, Haley has committed to remaining in the race until Super Tuesday on March 5. Her campaign asserts that the decision by AFP Action to withdraw funding has not altered their strategy, and they still possess the resources to continue their campaign.
“AFP is a great organization and ally in the fight for freedom and conservative government. We thank them for their tremendous help in this race,” Haley’s campaign stated in a statement on Sunday. “Our fight continues, and with more than $1 million coming in from grassroots conservatives in just the last 24 hours, we have plenty of fuel to keep going. We have a country to save.”
Instead, AFP Action will use its funds to support Republican congressional elections. It has endorsed 19 candidates seeking House seats and five candidates seeking Senate seats thus far.
“With the South Carolina presidential primary this weekend and the Senate engagement really heating up,” Seidel continued in the email. “It’s time to take stock of where we are and – as we always do – make sure we’re optimizing our resources.”
