Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign collected a modest $2.6 million in May, highlighting its increasing dependence on his running mate, the affluent Silicon Valley attorney Nicole Shanahan.
According to filings with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday, the Kennedy campaign raised less in May than in any other month in 2024. This decrease was primarily due to Ms. Shanahan, who has been a major financial contributor to their independent presidential campaign, providing minimal additional funds in May.
Mr. Kennedy’s fundraising total for May was essentially the same as in April, excluding Ms. Shanahan’s contributions. While he raised $10.7 million that month, $8 million came from her. When she was announced as his running mate in March, she promptly invested $2 million in the campaign.
At the end of May, Mr. Kennedy had $6.4 million on hand. However, this figure may not fully reflect his financial standing, as Ms. Shanahan could inject additional funds into their campaign at any time. Campaign finance laws restrict individual donations to $3,300, but candidates can contribute unlimited amounts of their own money.
Ms. Shanahan, a philanthropist and former spouse of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, is rumored to have access to more than $1 billion. It remains unknown whether there is a cap on her potential spending.
Mr. Kennedy and his supporters face unique expenses related to their campaign, particularly costly ballot-access efforts.
In May, his campaign disbursed approximately $6.3 million, with nearly half channeled through a limited liability company specializing in ballot access. The expenditures were categorized as “campaign consulting,” making the exact allocation of funds somewhat unclear.
