Multiple GOP lawmakers busted raising money for GA Senate race -- then funneling it to their own campaigns

The upcoming Georgia runoff elections will determine control of the United States Senate -- and some Republican politicians have found it to be a goldmine for their own political operations.

The Daily Beast reports that multiple GOP politicians and at least one Democratic senator have been asking their supporters to donate money in the name of winning the upcoming Georgia runoff elections, but then funneling that money into their own campaign committees.

The efforts were kickstarted by Sen. Ted Cruz, who put up Facebook ads saying he needed money to stop the "gun grabbing, tax hikes, open borders, and stacking the Supreme Court" that would supposedly happen if Democrats won the Senate.

In reality, of course, the money raised by Cruz went to his own campaign committee.

Since then, multiple lawmakers including Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Reps. Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-WA) and Ashley Hinson (R-IA) have followed suit by raising cash that was at least split some way between the Georgia Senate races and their own PACs.

And unsurprisingly President Donald Trump has also gotten in on the action.

"[Trump's] political team has been buying Google ads and sending out fundraising emails for weeks declaring the urgent need to hold the GOP Senate majority, and asking for contributions to his own political groups," reports the Daily Beast. "But the fine print of those solicitations makes clear that a major chunk of the change will be going to Trump's own committee and a smaller chunk to the Republican National Committee."

Read the whole report here (subscription required).