RNC backs out of fundraising agreement with Roy Moore

WASHINGTON (UPI) — The Republican National Committee pulled out of a joint fundraising agreement with U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, of Alabama, on Tuesday. The RNC is no longer listed as an entity in the joint fundraising agreement with Moore’s campaign and the Alabama Republican Party as Republicans sever financial ties with Moore following accusations of sexual misconduct with teenagers. The National Republican Senatorial Committee also backed out of the agreement last week. In addition to pulling out of the fundraising agreement the RNC also canceled a field program it had set up, which included about a dozen paid canvassers in Alabama working for Moore. RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel is expected to brief committee members on the decision later Tuesday. A total of five women have accused Moore of making sexual or romantic advances toward them as teenagers, including Beverly Young Nelson, who said Moore sexually assaulted her when she was 16 and he was in his 30s. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said he believes the women’s allegations and has called for Moore to step out of the Senate race scheduled for Dec. 12. Moore’s opponent, Democrat Doug Jones, released a campaign ad Tuesday featuring self-proclaimed Republicans saying they will vote for Jones over Moore due to the allegations. Moore denied the allegations and suggested McConnell step down instead in a tweet on Monday. McConnell is looking into pursuing a write-in candidate to challenge Moore, whose name will appear on the ballot whether or not he chooses to resign. Alabama law says a candidate can’t remove their name from a ballot within a month of the the election.