The National Association of Realtors—a deep-pocketed political player that claims more than a million members—has withdrawn support for longtime Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) because of recent statements in favor of allowing homeowners to discriminate against gays in real estate transactions.

The Orange County Register reported May 24 that the controversial 15-term congressman, in a Washington, D.C., meeting with the Realtors association of that California county, declined to support a bill extending Fair Housing Act protections to gays and lesbians. https://bit.ly/2KQt0pK

Rohrabacher, who faces a tough re-election campaign, later affirmed his stance to the newspaper.

"A homeowner should not be required to be in business with someone they think is doing something that is immoral," he told the Register.

The Register reported that Rohrabacher's position drew a protest by a Realtor gay-rights group, prompting NAR to withdraw its PAC support for the congressman and its recommendation that members support him (by removing him from the group's President's Circle).

A spokesman for the gay rights group told real estate news service Inman that Rohrabacher has "a history of contempt for the equal rights of the LGBT community."

NAR confirmed the move in a statement.

"After reviewing all new, relevant information, it was determined that Rep. Rohrabacher will no longer receive support from NAR's President's Circle," the statement said.

"Making this decision was the right thing for NAR to do; the association's member Code of Ethics is far ahead of Congress on gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination. We certainly hope that Congress will follow the lead set at our recent legislative meetings and support the elimination of housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity," NAR said.

So far in this election cycle, Rohrabacher's biggest monetary support has come from the real estate industry.

The Center for Responsive Politics reports that Rohrabacher has received contributions of $157,261 from individuals in real estate, and another $5,000 in PAC money.

The National Association of Realtors can be a formidable friend to politicians of both parties. The NAR spent more than $10 million on independent expenditures in the 2015-2016 campaign cycle—always for candidates and never against them—and split about 40 percent for Democrats and 60 percent for Republicans, according to CRP. They spent $8.5 million in the general election on 17 candidates, 14 of whom won.

Rohrabacher, once a prominent Cold Warrior, is controversial for his apparent sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, when he was CIA director, called Wikileaks "a non state, hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors, like Russia."

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