Politico's Alex Isenstadt brings us the truly bizarre story about how Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani is holding a fundraiser for little-known candidate Josh Guillory, an attorney who is challenging Rep. and fellow Republican Clay Higgins in Louisiana's 3rd Congressional District —and neither the House leadership, the state GOP, nor the White House is happy about it. It didn't escape anyone's notice that Guillory's campaign finance director, Jennifer LeBlanc, just happens to be Giuliani's new girlfriend.
Higgins, a former local police officer who became famous for a series of "Crime Stoppers" videos that featured him melodramatically calling out criminals, has been a reliable vote for Trump in this safely red coastal seat. The White House was therefore reportedly blindsided when they learned that Giuliani was venturing to southwestern Louisiana to help his opponent.
Isenstadt writes that Trump's political advisors have privately told Higgins' allies that they have little control over what the former New York City mayor does. However, that hasn't stopped House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who represents a neighboring House seat, from complaining to Trump and Mike Pence's political aides. Higgins' friends are also reportedly nervous that Guillory will make it seem like an endorsement from Trump's lawyer is an endorsement from Trump himself. Guillory acknowledged to Politico that Trump hasn't endorsed anyone here, but he added, "Whether there’s an implication or not, I’ll let people make their own decision."
However, it's still unlikely Guillory will be emerge as a huge threat to Higgins. At the end of March, the incumbent held a wide $211,000 to $45,000 cash-on-hand edge, and he doesn't seem to have made many conservative enemies at home during his brief tenure. Under Louisiana law, all the candidates will face off on one ballot on Nov. 6, and if no one takes a majority, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to a December runoff. But at least until November, voters in this Lafayette-area seat will be treated to what state Attorney General and Higgins supporter Jeff Landry called "a National Enquirer-type situation."