CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Two casino companies have given five-figure checks to a West Virginia conservative political committee.
According to federal campaign finance records, Penn National Gaming donated $27,000 and Racing Corporation of West Virginia gave $20,000 in February to Grow WV Inc.
Penn National Gaming runs the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. Racing Corporation of West Virginia owns the Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in Cross Lanes.
In the 2014 election cycle, those two companies and several other gaming interests donated $615,500 combined to West Virginia First, a political group that aided Democrats.
When Democrats lost control of the Legislature to Republicans after that election, West Virginia First donated $25,000 to Go West Virginia, a nonprofit that fuels Grow WV.
Grow WV spent $1.4 million to aid Republicans in the 2014 cycle.