Beasley donates $250,000 to his Senate campaign

[Freddie Stubbs]

JENNIFER HOLLAND

Associated Press


COLUMBIA, S.C. - Former Gov. David Beasley dropped $250,000 into his own U.S. Senate campaign on Wednesday, a move his Republican runoff opponent said was an act of desperation.

Beasley's campaign spokesman Hogan Gidley said the last-minute donation is necessary to keep pace with political action committees pumping money into U.S. Rep Jim DeMint's campaign. "It's no surprise a Washington insider is getting money from Washington groups," Gidley said.

The candidates have been battling each other directly for the Republican nomination since the June 8 primary. Beasley was the top voter-getter with 37 percent of the vote followed by DeMint with 26 percent in the six-way race. Because neither topped the 50 percent necessary to win outright, they face each other again on Tuesday.

Gidley said Beasley's campaign had raised about $400,000 since the primary and denied the campaign had run out of steam.

more: http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/politics/8939631.htm