Google says donation to Hyde-Smith campaign came before 'hanging' comment. But is that true?

Bracey Harris | Mississippi Clarion Ledger

Show Caption Hide Caption Hyde-Smith, Bryant face questions about 'hanging' comment At a Monday news conference about an endorsement by the National Right to Life Committee, Gov. Phil Bryant and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith were asked about Hyde-Smith's comments about attending a hanging, captured in a video posted online Sunday.

Google is backing away from its recent donation to Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s campaign as backlash swells around the Republican’s remarks about attending a “public hanging.”

Hyde-Smith became ensnared in controversy after video surfaced from a Nov. 2 campaign event in Tupelo where she thanked a supporter, saying she would "fight a circular saw for him," before adding: "If he invited me to a public hanging, I'd be on the front row."

Required federal campaign finance filings from Hyde-Smith’s camp show the tech giant made the $5,000 contribution on Nov. 13 — two days after Hyde-Smith’s remarks brought national attention to the state’s approaching U.S. Senate runoff election. Hyde-Smith made the comments on Nov. 2, but they didn't receive social media and state and national media attention until Nov. 11.

More: Senate race getting national attention after Hyde-Smith 'hanging' comment

Judd Legum with the nonprofit newsletter Popular Information first reported about the donation.

In a response to Legum, the company contends the contribution was made more than a week before Hyde-Smith’s comments.

“This contribution was made on Nov. 2 before Sen. Hyde-Smith’s remarks became public on Nov. 11. While we support candidates who promote pro-growth policies for business and technology, we do not condone these remarks and would have not made such a contribution had we known about them,” the statement reads.

Google’s disclosure that the contribution was made on Nov. 2 raises additional questions.

The short window before the runoff election means candidates have to report contributions of $1,000 or more within 48 hours to the Federal Election Commission.

Legum highlighted the discrepancy in his report.

Hyde-Smith campaign spokeswoman Melissa Scallan said reporting rules were followed.

"We received the check on Nov. 13 and reported it the same day," she said in a statement. "We have complied with all campaign finance laws."

More: Mike Espy, Cindy Hyde-Smith agree to U.S. Senate debate

As Google seeks to create distance, a review of 48-hour reports filed by Hyde-Smith’s campaign since Monday show not all donors are shying away.

As of Thursday morning, Cindy Hyde-Smith for U.S. Senate, the official fundraising arm for Hyde-Smith’s campaign, has received more than $120,000 in campaign contributions. Some of those donations occurred after Hyde-Smith's comments became widely known Sunday.

That figure does not encompass contributions to unaffiliated political action committees such as the Mississippi Victory Fund. The Henry Barbour-led PAC spent more than $70,000 this week on advertisements opposing Hyde-Smith’s Democratic challenger, Mike Espy.

Espy’s campaign reported $9,500 in campaign contributions this week. Those figures, however, don’t include the efforts by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which send out a fundraising email this week with a subject line referencing Hyde-Smith’s comments.