The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spent more than half a million dollars to assist Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) ahead of his primary loss to Rep. Joe Sestak, newly filed documents show.

According to the DSCC April campaign finance report filed Thursday, the organization spent $541,000 on “coordinated” expenditures to support Specter through the end of last month, including $492,000 in April alone. Sestak won Tuesday’s primary by 54 percent to 46 percent.

National party committees are permitted to spent some campaign funds in concert with preferred candidates. These coordinated expenditures are subject to limits.

The bulk of the DSCC’s outlays, $375,000, went to Multi Media Services, a media-buying firm in Alexandria, Va., to place pro-Specter television ads on Pennsylvania stations.

The DSCC also spent some coordinated funds on polling, payroll and consulting expenses.

Any additional coordinated funds that the DSCC spent in Pennsylvania will be itemized on its May report, which is due June 20.