Matt Bevin hasn’t officially declared a primary run for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s seat. But given the brouhaha that’s ignited over his claim of affiliation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — which MIT denies — his decision may have been made for him.
Tea party activists say Mr. Bevin may have lost his chance to build a campaign against Mr. McConnell, Kentucky Republican, The Hill reports.
Mr. Bevin’s LinkedIn page stated he was an MIT graduate, or graduate of an MIT-affiliated program, The Hill says. But MIT officials have denied that claim. They say he actually attended a three-week seminar that’s not formally tied to the university, The Hill reports.
Mr. Bevin subsequently revised his LinkedIn page to reflect and clarify his true relationship with MIT, as The Hill reported.
Mr. Bevin is largely a political unknown. He hails from New Hampshire and had been trying to gather tea party support in recent weeks, The Hill said.
“MIT is a well-respected educational institution. If someone is playing on that name, it doesn’t sound like it’s being forthright,” said John Kemper, a spokesman for the United Kentucky Tea Party, in The Hill report. “Once someone causes you to question something and pull a thread and it comes loose, you want to pull the next thread and see if that’s the only thing.”
Mr. Kemper says he now wonders what other information Mr. Bevin is misrepresenting, The Hill reports.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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