Koch-Backed Super PAC Will No Longer Contribute To Nikki Haley’s Campaign

Americans for Prosperity Action, the super PAC backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, on Sunday announced they would stop spending on GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s campaign following her defeat in the South Carolina primary.

The former South Carolina governor has vowed to stay in the race until at least Super Tuesday despite her loss to GOP front-runner Donald Trump in her home state Saturday by over 20 percentage points.

Emily Seidel, the president and CEO of AFP Action, said that while the group still stands behind its endorsement of Haley, which they describe as “by far the best candidate to turn the page on our dysfunctional politics and take our country in a new, positive direction,” they no longer believe spending their resources on her candidacy could change the trajectory of the race.

Haley “has made it clear that she will continue to fight and we wholeheartedly support her in this effort,” Seidel said in an email to staff,first reported by Politico. “But 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.”

The group still believes that if “Donald Trump is at the top of the Republican ticket, the risk of one-party rule by a Democratic Party captured by the Progressive Left is severe and would do irreparable damage to the country,” Seidel said.

“The last 3 election cycles have painted a very clear picture of what we can expect from voters who consistently rejected Donald Trump and his impact on the Republican party brand,” she said, adding that AFP Action will now shift its attention to down-ballot races in the House and Senate, where they believe they make a difference.

“The most important — and hardest —