McConnell (ABC OTUS News)Liberal news website Mother Jones on Tuesday morning published audio from a private February discussion between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and aides about the Kentucky Republican's 2014 re-election campaign and potential Democratic challenger Ashley Judd.
The audio and transcripts?billed as a "secret tape" by Washington Bureau chief David Corn?show the McConnell camp discussing how to use the actress' religious beliefs and history of depression against her in a potential campaign.
Judd announced March 27 that she would not be a candidate for the Senate, citing family obligations.
McConnell's team believes Mother Jones obtained the tape illegally and has asked the FBI to investigate. Mother Jones released a statement Tuesday saying the tape is from a source who wished to remain anonymous and that the news outlet was not involved in making it.
"Senator McConnell?s campaign is working with the FBI and has notified the local U.S. Attorney in Louisville, per FBI request, about these recordings," Jesse Benton, McConnell's campaign manager, said in a statement. "Obviously a recording device of some kind was placed in Senator McConnell?s campaign office without consent. By whom and how that was accomplished presumably will be the subject of a criminal investigation.?
Benton added, "We?ve always said the Left would stop at nothing to attack Sen. McConnell, but Watergate-style tactics to bug campaign headquarters are above and beyond."
Mother Jones said it gave McConnell's office a chance to respond to the tape before it was published but didn't hear back.
"We are still waiting for Sen. Mitch McConnell to comment on the substance of the story," Mother Jones' statement read. "It is our understanding that the tape was not the product of a Watergate-style bugging operation."
During the discussion of Judd's mental health on the tape, one individual said, "She's clearly, this sounds extreme, but she is emotionally unbalanced. I mean it's been documented. Jesse can go in chapter and verse from her autobiography about, you know, she's suffered some suicidal tendencies. She was hospitalized for 42 days when she had a mental breakdown in the '90s."
The group also poked fun at a reference Judd made about St. Francis, a revered Catholic saint, and other religious statements.
During the 2012 presidential campaign, Mother Jones also famously revealed secretly recorded comments made by Republican hopeful Mitt Romney, where he said 47 percent of Americans were dependent on government and refused to take "personal responsibility" for their lives. Romney later apologized.
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