Sens. John Fetterman (D) and Dave McCormick (R) of Pennsylvania have set up a joint fundraising committee, according to a Federal Election Commission filing, a rare move for lawmakers from opposing political parties.
Called “Common Ground PA,” the joint committee has four PACs participating in it — two associated with each senator, according to the July 6 FEC filing.
With joint fundraising committees, two or more candidates, party committees or PACs can raise money together, and donors can write a single big check rather than several smaller ones. Presidential candidates have historically used joint fundraising committees to bulk up their war chests ahead of general elections. It’s unusual for the participants to be affiliated with different political parties.
The joint venture is fueling speculation that the GOP, including McCormick, has courted Fetterman to switch parties. Fetterman, who flipped his Pennsylvania seat in 2022, has at times bucked establishment Democrats and voted with Republicans on key issues, including supporting stricter immigration policies and voicing stronger support for Israel as it wages war in Gaza.
The senator recently allayed rumors that he would defect to the Republican Party. In a May essay published in The Washington Post, Fetterman wrote that he would continue working across the aisle, while acknowledging that the practice put him “at odds with the party that I have stayed committed to.”
“Plus, I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats,” he said.
Spokespeople for Fetterman and McCormick did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday afternoon.
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