Although tea party favorites Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Mike Lee declined this week to endorse the re-election effort of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., they had been part of a joint effort with McConnell in May to raise funds from tea party supporters that netted McConnell $13,450.

A national tea party committee, the Tea Party Leadership Fund (formerly known as the TeaParty.Net Leadership Fund), a hybrid PAC with a noncontribution account, based in Alexandria, Va., contributed $40,000 in May to In Defense of Free Speech JFC, a joint fundraising committee set up in May. The $53,800 in proceeds were split between four candidates, with each getting $13,450. The candidates were McConnell, Cruz, Lee and John Cornyn, R-Texas. The McConnell Senate Committee ’14 was sent $10,950 on June 29 and $2,500 on June 25.

Tea Party Leadership Fund
reported

From May 1 to June 30, the committee spent $180,942 on fundraising; $72,840 on telemarketing; $28,832 on marketing; $27,754 on legal; services; $20,000 on a charitable contribution to the Coolidge Reagan Foundation; $20,618 on online advertising and fundraising; among others. The committee gave $5,000 each to Rob Maness, R-La., and Rep. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and $1,000 each to Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan. and Rep. Robert Pittenger, R-N.C.

In 2011-2012, the Tea Party Leadership Fund raised $1.2 million and contributed $57,500 to candidates and spent $154,172 on independent expenditures.