Big Greitens donor now funding a PAC supporting Roy Moore in Alabama Senate race

An Illinois businessman who gave Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’ campaign $360,000 over the last two years is now funding a political action committee supporting embattled U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore in Alabama.

Moore, 70, in recent weeks has been accused of having sexual contact with a woman when she was 14 years old and he was a 32-year-old assistant district attorney. At least eight women have accused Moore of sexual misconduct or inappropriate behavior.

Richard Uihlein, who along with his wife owns a packaging supply company, has given $100,000 to a group called Proven Conservatives PAC, making him by far the group’s biggest donor. According to The Daily Beast, which first reported the donations, the group has been running TV ads in support of Moore.

Uihlein was a major contributor to Greitens’ successful campaign for governor, most notably cutting a $250,000 check to Greitens just two weeks before Election Day last year. In July he donated $100,000 to Liberty Alliance, a PAC with ties to the governor’s political team.

He’s also been a big supporter of Josh Hawley, Missouri’s attorney general, who now is running for the U.S. Senate.

Uihlein donated $20,000 to Hawley’s successful campaign for attorney general and $5,400 to his Senate campaign.

Over the years Uihlein has donated millions to Republican candidates and causes around the country. His donations to the pro-Moore PAC came in two chunks — a $50,000 check before Moore faced allegations of sexual misconduct and another $50,000 check after they surfaced.

Several high-profile Republicans have withdrawn their support for Moore and called for him to abandon his campaign because of the accusations. Moore has refused, saying the allegations are “completely false.”

Hawley has said Moore should drop out of the race “unless he can give rock solid evidence that these claims are false.”

Greitens has not publicly spoken about Moore, and he did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

This story was originally published November 28, 2017 at 3:57 PM with the headline "Big Greitens donor now funding a PAC supporting Roy Moore in Alabama Senate race."