Bannon to attend fundraiser for NY Republican who voted against tax bill

Former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon will attend a fundraiser for Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), the first time he is headlining such an event for a House Republican incumbent, Axios reported Wednesday.

Bannon is said to be focusing more attention on House candidates, and will be campaigning with some of them and attending fundraisers, Axios reported. 

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Zeldin, 37, has represented New York’s 1st Congressional District since 2015. Last week, he was one of 13 Republicans to vote against the House GOP tax-reform bill. 

Bannon and Zeldin have been friendly in the past. The New York congressman defended Bannon after he left his post as White House chief strategist in August.

“Steve Bannon, especially what we’ve seen since last year’s campaign, is getting a really bad rap, characterizing him as a racist,” Zeldin said in August.

Bannon returned to Breitbart News after leaving the White House.

He has been working to field primary challengers to a number of GOP Senate incumbents. Bannon is also a strong backer of Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore, who knocked off incumbent Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.) in the primary.