Ron Paul: Rep. ‘Amash is in trouble,’ urges donations

Washington West Michigan U.S. Rep. Justin Amash is getting a financial assist from his mentor, former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, to battle a Republican primary challenger.

Paul, the former presidential candidate who ignited a libertarian movement within the GOP, sent out a fundraising email to supporters titled: Justin Amash is in trouble!

Paul urged his nationwide list of donors to join a fundraising surge known as a money bomb because Amash is at risk from a primary challenge by Brian Ellis, owner of an investment advisory firm and former East Grand Rapids school board member.

The Big Government GOP establishment is running a well-financed primary opponent against Justin, Paul said in an email Monday sent through the Liberty PAC, a fundraising committee supporting Paul. ... Justin needs your help right away.

Pauls call to action seems to be paying off. Amashs campaign raised more than $97,000 as of 6 p.m. Tuesday with the 48-hour effort ending at midnight. By comparison, Amash took three months to raise more than $200,000 in his last fundraising report.

Were thrilled with the amount of support and words of encouragement, said Amash campaign spokesman Will Adams. Initially, the money bomb was to last 24 hours, but an email from Amash Monday night asking for support prompted a wave of visitors that caused a website server to go down and the effort was extended, Adams said.

Amash, a second-term Republican from Cascade Township, has been a longtime supporter of Paul and campaigned for him in Michigan during his 2012 presidential run. When Paul retired from the House, many supporters looked to Amash to carry the torch for the liberty movement in the lower chamber.

Amash has developed a reputation much like Paul for bucking the establishment. He has routinely voted no on some key GOP leadership priorities most recently against the bipartisan Paul Ryan-Patty Murray budget deal for not cutting enough spending. He nearly won a House floor battle this summer to curb the National Security Agencys phone surveillance programs.

But his unconventional ways have irked some in his West Michigan district and within the Republican Party. Primary challenger Ellis argues Amash has turned his back on conservative principles and his district.

He is in trouble, said Ellis, 53, of Grand Rapids Township. And he is going to need a lot of money to defend his horrendous votes in Congress in a short time in office. He didnt support the Keystone Pipeline. He didnt support small business tax cuts, and he didnt even vote to reaffirm ... in God we trust as our national motto. So yeah, he needs help.

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Ron Paul: Rep. 'Amash is in trouble,' urges donations