GOP Chair Candidate Cino Defends Donations, Says She’s Pro-Life

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Dec 24, 2010   |   6:07PM   |   Washington, DC

Republican Party chairman candidate Maria Cino released a statement today designed to defend her pro-life views in the face of criticism concerning her history of making donations to a pro-abortion Republican organization.

As LifeNews.com previously reported, Cino made several donations to WISH List, a pro-abortion Republican political action committee designed to elect women candidates who back legalized abortions.

Today, Cino released a statement defending those pro-abortion donations as supposedly made to increase the efforts of the Republican Party and to advance the pro-life position:

My critics point out my contributions to a very small group of candidates and a single political action committee whose views on abortion are different from my own, but who were Republican nonetheless.  I have committed my life to winning elections across the country, even in areas where the Democrats have traditionally been strong.  I remain committed to competing in states be they red or blue. The claims being made about my pro-life beliefs also fail to point out that I have helped elect a huge number of pro-life candidates to office at all levels — including the White House, which directly led to the addition of two pro-life justices to the Supreme Court.

I have given more personal donations than any other candidate running for RNC Chairman, and all my donations were aimed at making our party the majority party and our pro-life platform, which I fully support, into the basis for legislation and policy.

Cino also says she is fully 100 percent pro-life and in agreement with one of the premier pro-life organizations.

I am a life-long Catholic who strongly believes and supports the teachings of the Church. I believe in upholding the culture of Life, and therefore I strongly oppose legal abortion.  Further, I have studied the questionnaire of the National Right to Life Committee, and am in 100 percent agreement with their policy objectives.  All of the elected officials I have worked for directly are ardent pro-lifers and I was proud to assist them in defending the rights of the unborn.

Cino defended herself from criticism from some conservatives who say she lobbied for ObamaCare on behalf of Pfizer, where she is currently a lobbyist and a governmental relations vice president.

Let me say it simply: I never lobbied for Obamacare, don’t support it and any claims to the contrary are totally false.  As Chairman I will work closely with Congressional Republicans to ensure Obamacare is never implemented.