A joint fundraising committee helped finance two major committees connected with former President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign.
Former President Donald Trump’s biggest financial supporter opened up his checkbook again in April, according to new financial disclosures.
On May 20, three committees associated with President Trump issued monthly financial statements with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). All told, the three groups brought in about $31.2 million in April.
The most significant boost came from the super political action committee Make America Great Again Inc. The super PAC raised about $12.8 million and spent about $11.6 million in April. It ended the month with $34.5 million in cash on hand.
Mellon’s Millions To MAGA
Most of the money came from a single source: Timothy Mellon.
Mr. Mellon, an heir to the Mellon family fortune, gave MAGA Inc. $10 million on April 17. That brought his total 2024 contribution to the fund to $15 million.
Less than a week later, Mr. Mellon gave $5 million to a hybrid PAC called American Values 2024. American Values backs independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
According to FEC records, Mr. Mellon is the largest individual backer of both President Trump’s and Mr. Kennedy’s campaigns. In the first four months of 2024, he gave $10 million to American Values.
Related Stories
In 2023, Mr. Mellon sent American Values $15 million and MAGA Inc. $10 million.
According to watchdog organization OpenSecrets, Mr. Mellon is the third-largest individual donor of the 2024 election cycle.
Other Million Dollar Donors
Along with Mr. Mellon’s gift, MAGA Inc. cashed three $1 million checks in April.
First, on April 26, it received $1 million from both the Republican Jewish Coalition and the RJC Victory Fund.
Both accounts are linked to the 501(c)(4) nonprofit coalition. As a 501(c)(4), the nonprofit does not need to disclose its donors. For this reason, 501 organizations are often called dark money groups.
According to its most recent tax filing, the coalition supports the RJC Victory Fund. In 2022, it sent the super PAC $1.23 million.
According to a website associated with its qualified lobbyist PAC, the Republican Jewish Coalition-Political Action Committee, the Coalition supports President Trump and a slew of other Republican candidates for federal office.
In May, the coalition issued a joint release with the RNC and the Trump campaign, hailing President Trump’s position on the pro-Palestine protests.
“As antisemitism and anti-Israel extremism skyrocket across the country on Joe Biden’s watch, the Jewish community needs President Donald J. Trump back in the White House,” the Republican Jewish Coalition RJC CEO said in a May 6 release.
Second, it received $1 million from Continental Resources Inc., an Oklahoma City-based oil and natural gas company founded by Harold Hamm in 1967.
Mr. Hamm is a donor to the joint fundraising committee Trump 47 Committee Inc.
In a May 20 press release, Biden For President called attention to reports that President Trump is making fundraising appeals to donors in the oil industry, touting the financial benefits of his reelection.
“Trump [is] promising oil and gas executives whatever they want in exchange for donations, including oil lobbyists writing executive orders for him to sign,” the Biden campaign release said.
Trump Save America Provides Millions More
Two other committees reported to the FEC on May 20: Donald J. Trump For President 2024 Inc. and Save America.
In April, the qualified leadership PAC Save America brought in about $9 million and spent about $4.3 million. It closed the month with $8.8 million in cash on hand and about $1.1 million in debts, according to the FEC.
According to FEC records, the largest influx of money to Save America came from another Trump committee: the Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee, which sent the PAC about $6 million.
Save America’s second largest individual funder was MAGA Inc. On April 2, it sent the PAC $2.75 million as a “refund of federal contribution.”
According to FEC, MAGA Inc. sent a total of $17.75 million to Save America in 2024. That’s most of the about $24 million the PAC raised in the first four months of 2024.
The principal campaign committee, Donald J. Trump For President 2024, collected about $9.4 million and used about $5.5 million. It closed out April with about $49.1 million in cash on hand and about $1.1 million in debts, according to the FEC.
Like Save America, Trump For President got a massive leg up from Trump Save America. In April, according to the FEC, it sent $8.8 million to the committee.
For its part, Trump Save America did not report on May 20. Instead, it reports quarterly and will issue its next filing on July 15.
When Trump Save America last reported on April 15, it told the FEC that it had about $13.7 million in cash on hand at the end of March.
Please rephrase
Source link
