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Walmart Wants Hyde-Smith Donations Back After 'Public Hanging' Comment

The retail giant is requesting a refund of campaign donations after a video surfaced of Sen. Hyde-Smith saying she would attend a "public hanging."
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Walmart is cutting political ties with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith following her controversial comments. 

The retail chain has asked Hyde-Smith's campaign to refund a donation after it was revealed that Hyde-Smith remarked on camera that she'd be willing to attend a hypothetical "public hanging." The Mississippi Republican later told news outlets that her comment was a bad joke. 

On Twitter, Walmart said those remarks don't "reflect the values of our company and associates."

Federal Election Commission report shows that the most recent donation from a Walmart political action committee, or PAC, was on Nov. 18. But the company says it made its contribution on Nov. 8, before Hyde-Smith's comments were made public.

Other donors, including Google, have also backed away from Hyde-Smith after the video of her remark was published.

Scrutiny surrounding the incident comes as Hyde-Smith and her Democratic opponent, Mike Espy, head toward a Nov. 27 runoff election. That's because neither candidate earned at least 50 percent of the vote. 

The two are scheduled to face off in a televised debate Tuesday. 

Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN