The political action committee that took money from two Ukrainian-born associates of Rudy Guiliani spent $347,000 in Arizona’s 2018 Senate race to help Martha McSally, records show.

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were charged in a campaign-finance case earlier in October. Prosecutors allege they hid a $325,000 donation to America First Action, a PAC that supports President Donald Trump and that spent heavily to help House and Senate Republicans across the country in the 2018 elections.

Federal campaign finance records show the money spent in Arizona by America First Action last year was to benefit McSally over her Democratic rival Kyrsten Sinema.

The Arizona Senate race was low among the group's priorities in 2018. McSally's campaign said they had no involvement with the political action committee.

The PAC made all of its expenditures in the Arizona Senate race on Oct. 22, 2018, as early voting was underway and Republican surrogates and outside political groups were storming the state to help McSally's prospects.

Some of the group’s money was spent to oppose Sinema through "direct mail printing and postage."

Sinema narrowly won the race to become the first female senator to represent the state. McSally was later appointed to Arizona's other U.S. Senate seat following the death of Sen. John McCain.

Through a spokesman, Sinema declined to comment on the group's 2018 activity.

McSally's campaign manager Dylan Lefler declined to comment on the activities of America First Action — or those of any outside groups "as we are legally obligated not to coordinate activities with them," he wrote in a statement.

"We encourage everyone participating in campaigns to follow all the laws, rules, and regulations governing our campaign finance system," he wrote.

The PAC bills itself as “committed to creating an America where prosperity, safety and strength reign.”

The donation in question

The donation that is part of the criminal case stems from a $325,000 donation in May 2018 from Global Energy Producers, which prosecutors assert the men used to obscure their identities. After a campaign finance watchdog group raised questions in July 2018, the PAC set the money aside, a spokeswoman for the PAC said Wednesday. It's not clear precisely when that happened.

Overall, the group reported spending $29.3 million during the 2018 cycle; $45,920 of that came from donors in Arizona. Its spending in Arizona's last cycle was nearly its lowest financial priority.

The Ukrainian-born men are accused of using foreign money and a straw donor to exert influence on American politicians. They pleaded not guilty before a U.S. District Court judge in Manhattan on Wednesday.

Kelly Sadler, a spokeswoman for America First Action PAC, said in a written statement that the group followed its practice to get a “donor form from the contributor attesting that the” true identity of the donor was Global Energy Producers.

But two months later in July 2018, the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit that advocates for fair elections, filed a complaint with the Federal Election Committee over the contribution.

Sadler noted separate litigation about the funds in Florida.

“Therefore, America First Action placed that contribution in a segregated bank account, it has not been used for any purpose and the funds will remain in this segregated account until these matters are resolved and a court determines the proper disposition of the funds," she said.

“As supporters of the President, we are used to being attacked and our motives questioned by political adversaries, but we remain undeterred and focused on our mission to Keep America Great.”

The PAC remains active in Arizona and elsewhere this cycle. Since Jan. 1, 2019, the group raised nearly $9 million; $4,010 of that has come from Arizonans.

Have news to share about Arizona's U.S. senators or national politics? Reach the reporter on Twitter and Facebook. Contact her at yvonne.wingett@arizonarepublic.com and 602-444-4712.

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