BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Conservative groups linked to wealthy donors are saturating Montana airwaves with ads attacking Democratic Sen. Jon Tester as they try to capitalize on President Donald Trump's feud with the lawmaker.
Campaign filings show the Senate Leadership Fund is backed by Las Vegas gambling billionaire Sheldon Adelson.
It spent more than $1.1 million on anti-Tester ads on Oct. 18 alone.
That's the day Trump visited western Montana to promote Republican challenger Matt Rosendale and bashed Tester for derailing Veterans Affairs nominee Ronny Jackson.
Rosendale trails in campaign donations. That leaves him dependent on outside groups eager to topple the two-term incumbent and protect Republican control of the Senate.
Tester has avoided taking on Trump directly and instead talks up veterans' legislation he sponsored that was signed into law by the president.
