Karl Rove’s Super PAC Accepts $1 Million From Notorious Rape Defender

Karl Rove’s American Crossroads super PAC reported Thursday that it raised over $9.4 million in August — $1 million of which came from Clayton Williams Energy Inc. in Midland, Texas. That company’s chairman of the board, president, and chief executive officer is, unsurprisingly, Clayton Williams, Jr. Williams was the Texas Republican gubernatorial nominee who lost his 1990 race to then-State Treasurer Ann Richards (D) after making infamous comments defending rape.

At a cattle roundup on his Texas ranch, the oil and gas tycoon told ranch hands, campaign workers, and reporters that bad weather was like rape. “If it’s inevitable, just relax and enjoy it.” His double-digit lead in the polls evaporated and he lost the election.

The contribution is indeed ironic, as Karl Rove has been among the most vocal critics of Senate nominee Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) after his August comments that victims of “legitimate rape” are unlikely to become pregnant.

American Crossroads and its affiliated secret-money Crossroads GPS cancelled all independent expenditures in Missouri after Akin’s comments — after having invested at least tens of thousands into the race.

Later, Rove had to apologize after joking “We should sink Todd Akin. If he’s found mysteriously murdered, don’t look for my whereabouts!”

While Rove and Crossroads seem to want nothing to do with Akin and his comments, it is telling that they are willing to accept a massive sum of money from a man whose only rape comments were arguably even more offensive.