<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Alabama Rep. <a shape="rect" class="memberLink" title="Click to view member info in a new window" href="https://data.rollcall.com/members/31389?rel=memberLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mo Brooks</a> on Wednesday accused Senate Majority Leader <a shape="rect" class="memberLink" title="Click to view member info in a new window" href="https://data.rollcall.com/members/202?rel=memberLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mitch McConnell</a> of misleading President Donald Trump to endorse Sen. <a shape="rect" class="memberLink" title="Click to view member info in a new window" href="https://data.rollcall.com/members/107822?rel=memberLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Luther Strange</a> in the Alabama Senate race.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">In a statement responding to Trump’s endorsement of his rival a week before the Republican primary, Brooks criticized the president’s decision.</span></p><p class="p3"><span class="s2">Trump <a shape="rect" href="https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/trump-endorses-strange-alabama-senate-primary"><span class="s3">tweeted his endorsement of Strange on Tuesday, saying he has done a “great job” representing Alabama</span></a>. </span></p><p class="p3"><a shape="rect" href="https://mobrooksforsenate.com/statement-congressman-mo-brooks-president-trumps-endorsement/">In his statement</a> Brooks said he respected the president, “but I am baffled and disappointed <a shape="rect" class="memberLink" title="Click to view member info in a new window" href="https://data.rollcall.com/members/202?rel=memberLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mitch McConnell</a> and the Swamp somehow misled the President into endorsing <a shape="rect" class="memberLink" title="Click to view member info in a new window" href="https://data.rollcall.com/members/107822?rel=memberLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Luther Strange</a>,” Brooks said.</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Perhaps the President is unaware that <a shape="rect" class="memberLink" title="Click to view member info in a new window" href="https://data.rollcall.com/members/107822?rel=memberLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Luther Strange</a> corruptly and unethically held a criminal investigation over the head of disgraced Governor Bentley to obtain the senate appointment,” Brooks said. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Strange was appointed by former Gov. Robert Bentley before Bentley resigned after it was revealed he used campaign cash to cover up an extramarital affair. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">At the time, Strange was state attorney general and reportedly told a state House committee to halt its investigation of Bentley, saying his office was investigating the governor.</span></p><p class="p1">Bentley later appointed Strange to fill the remainder of then-Sen. <a shape="rect" class="memberLink" title="Click to view member info in a new window" href="https://data.rollcall.com/members/12?rel=memberLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jeff Sessions</a>’ term after Trump chose his as U.S. attorney general.</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Brooks also said Strange wants to keep in place the filibuster rule in the Senate “that empowers <a shape="rect" class="memberLink" title="Click to view member info in a new window" href="https://data.rollcall.com/members/371?rel=memberLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chuck Schumer</a> and the Democrats to kill the entire conservative, Republican, and President Trump legislative agendas.”</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">On Tuesday, Brooks released an <a shape="rect" href="https://twitter.com/mobrooksforsen/status/895026030582403073"><span class="s4">ad</span></a> calling McConnell a “Swamp King” and featuring Brooks standing beside Trump in the Oval Office.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Alabama Senate primary, which also features former state Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore, <a shape="rect" href="https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/alabama-senate-primary-gop"><span class="s4">has turned into a referendum on who is the most pro-Trump candidate</span></a>.</span></p><p class="p1">Internal polling shows Moore leading the race, with Brooks and Strange fighting for the second spot in a probable runoff.</p><p class="p3"><span class="s2">The McConnell-affiliated <a shape="rect" href="https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/alabama-gop-senate-brooks-strange"><span class="s3">Senate Leadership Fund has poured money into the race accusing Brooks of not being sufficiently supportive of the president</span></a>. The ads also accuse him of siding with liberals in Congress.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“The President has bigger things going on than a campaign, that’s for sure,” Brooks said.</span></p><div id="cqrcPostAdditional"></div>
