Club for Growth to direct money to five GOP presidential contenders

The political action committee for the fiscally conservative group Club for Growth will act as a bundler for five Republican presidential candidates in 2016.

The Club for Growth announced Tuesday that it will accept donations for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.).

{mosads}Club for Growth PAC spokesman Doug Sachtleben told The Hill donors will specify who they want the money to go to, and the group would act as a pass-through to that candidate’s presidential campaign, with the money signaling that the donor supports the candidate’s “pro-growth policies.”

“Five candidates are at the forefront of the Republican presidential field on issues of economic freedom, and the Club for Growth PAC is standing with them to help them stand out from the rest,” said Club for Growth President David McIntosh.

McIntosh noted that Club for Growth was “instrumental” in getting Paul, Cruz and Rubio elected, and he lauded each for having “walked the talk” since arriving in Congress.

He said Walker’s battle with public-sector unions in Wisconsin was “nothing less than heroic” and praised Bush as having amassed “a solid record on tax cuts as governor of Florida.”

“That’s why, for the first time, the Club’s PAC is encouraging Club members to give to these presidential campaigns through the Club for Growth PAC, and to send a strong message about economic freedom as a central issue in the 2016 race,” McIntosh said.

The Club has also been vocal this cycle in criticizing GOP presidential candidates that it says support big government fiscal policies.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has long been a target of the group, and earlier this year, McIntosh vowed “the Club for Growth PAC will make sure that Republican primary voters thoroughly examine his exceptionally poor record of raising taxes and spending as governor.”

The Club has blasted Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for expanding Medicaid under ObamaCare in their states and has sought to highlight Donald Trump’s record of bankruptcies.