Romney, McConnell Meet During Campaign's Washington Swing

Republicans are staying mum on a Wednesday meeting between presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

The meeting, which aides said was not held in the Capitol, came during a short Romney swing through Washington.

A Senate Republican leadership aide confirmed the meeting, the first announced meeting this year between the two leading Republicans, but declined to comment further. Romney’s camp also declined to comment beyond confirming the meeting.

Romney met in March with Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who is often at odds with McConnell, and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis. Publicly, Romney has mostly steered clear of top Hill Republicans including McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, but GOP aides say Republican congressional leaders have coordinated with Romney’s campaign behind the scenes for months, and the public cooperation between the former Massachusetts governor and Hill Republicans has increased since Romney's rivals for the GOP nomination exited the contest.

Romney’s campaign had listed his meetings in Washington this afternoon as “private” but later confirmed the McConnell meeting, CNN reported.