Several Republicans are returning political donations given to them by Earl Holt, leader of a group that allegedly inspired the man charged with killing nine people at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) is returning $1,000 in donations, according to CNN. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is also returning campaign funds given to him by Holt, according to CNN's Jake Tapper.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) will donate funds equal to the donations they received from Holt to the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund.
"It was brought to my attention late Sunday evening that an individual who led a group cited by the murderer who terrorized the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston had given to one of my past political campaigns," Santorum said in a statement, according to TPM. "Rather than put more money back in the pockets of such an individual, my 2012 campaign committee will be donating the amount of his past donations to the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund to support the victims of this tragedy."
Dylann Roof, who was charged with nine counts of murder on Friday, has been connected to a racist manifesto that mentions Holt's group, the Council of Conservative Citizens.
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