Thiel and GOP super PAC can't reach agreement on Arizona Senate spending

Tech billionaire Peter Thiel and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s governmental cognition person been successful a standoff implicit however to money a cardinal Senate contention — and a precocious connection to collaborate stalled retired this week, little than a period earlier Election Day.

On Monday evening, Thiel reached retired to Steven Law, who heads the Senate Leadership Fund, a McConnell-aligned ace PAC, to suggest a deal, according to a idiosyncratic acquainted with the conversation. Thiel said that helium and Law’s ace PAC could each pump $5 cardinal into the Arizona Senate race, wherever Thiel’s protégé, Blake Masters, is the Republican nominee moving against Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly.

Thiel spent $15 cardinal done a ace PAC to bolster Masters during the primary, helping him to a 12-point triumph implicit his nearest competitor. But the PayPal co-founder and aboriginal Facebook capitalist has yet to assistance Masters successful the wide election. Senate Leadership Fund besides decided to cancel its planned autumn TV blitz successful the state, a determination which came arsenic polls showed Masters trailing Kelly.

During the Monday call, Law told Thiel helium would spot if helium would beryllium capable to rustle up the $5 cardinal from donors to conscionable Thiel’s connection — though helium said an inquire this precocious successful the predetermination year, erstwhile contributors were mostly tapped out, whitethorn not beryllium successful.

But connected Thursday morning, Law got backmost to the billionaire to archer him that he’d been incapable to find the donors to supply the needed funds, the idiosyncratic acquainted with the talks said. The telephone was described arsenic cordial.

Spokespersons for Senate Leadership Fund and Thiel did not comment.

Word of the negotiations betwixt Thiel and SLF was archetypal reported by Axios.

It’s unclear if Thiel present volition walk connected his ain successful the remaining clip earlier Election Day, though Law urged Thiel during Thursday’s telephone to forge up with spending connected the race. After contributing extensively during the primaries — speech from Masters, helium besides doled retired $15 cardinal to backmost different protégé moving for the Senate, Ohio Republican J.D. Vance — helium has kept his wallet unopen during the wide predetermination season.

While Senate Leadership Fund has turned disconnected the spigot successful Arizona, Masters is inactive getting assistance from the party. Conservative groups, including Heritage Action, are spending wealth successful the state. Masters besides met with McConnell during a caller travel to Washington, wherever the Republican person held a fundraiser for him.