{"id":137699,"date":"2016-03-23T11:06:25","date_gmt":"2016-03-23T17:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=137699"},"modified":"2016-03-23T11:06:25","modified_gmt":"2016-03-23T17:06:25","slug":"megadonors-stricken-with-presidential-fatigue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2016\/03\/megadonors-stricken-with-presidential-fatigue\/","title":{"rendered":"Megadonors stricken with presidential fatigue?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_72046\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 771px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-72046\" src=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/CapitolBuilding-771x455.jpg\" alt=\"The U.S. Capitol Building\" width=\"771\" height=\"455\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/CapitolBuilding-771x455.jpg 771w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/CapitolBuilding-336x198.jpg 336w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/CapitolBuilding-768x453.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/CapitolBuilding-1170x690.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/CapitolBuilding.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" \/><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Congress-focused super PACs and nonprofits are reporting heightened interest.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2015\/06\/16\/17488\/9-things-know-about-donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\">Donald Trump<\/a>-fueled tumult in the Republican presidential race is prompting some major donors to abandon the field for now and instead funnel resources into downballot races.<\/p>\n<p>Some key political groups dedicated to promoting Republican congressional candidates say they\u2019re seeing interest from donors who would otherwise be focused on the presidential race.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"module align-left half type-aside\">\n<h3>About this article<\/h3>\n<p>This story comes from the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2016\/03\/21\/19453\/megadonors-stricken-presidential-fatigue\" target=\"_blank\">Center for Public Integrity<\/a>, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative media organization in Washington, D.C. It\u2019s\u00a0part of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/politics\/buying-president-2016?utm_campaign=syndication&amp;utm_source=yahoo-news&amp;utm_medium=taxonomy-link\" target=\"_blank\">Buying of the President 2016<\/a>. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/politics\/buying-president-2016?utm_campaign=syndication&amp;utm_source=yahoo-news&amp;utm_medium=taxonomy-link\" target=\"_blank\">Click here<\/a> to read more stories in this investigation.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Ian Prior, a spokesman for the conservative Senate Leadership Fund super PAC and One Nation, a nonprofit group that also focuses on the Senate, told the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Center for Public Integrity<\/a> in an email that \u201cthere have certainly been consistent concerns with the tenor and tone of the Republican nominating process.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Consequently, Prior continued, \u201cthe fight to keep the Senate has become one where there has been increased interest, focus, and attention from the donor community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC that may raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, has so far reported raising about $13.8 million during the 2015-2016 election cycle. One Nation does not disclose its donors.<\/p>\n<p>Scott Reed, a senior political strategist for the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2015\/03\/30\/17000\/us-chamber-doubling-down-political-juggernaut\" target=\"_blank\"> U.S. Chamber of Commerce<\/a>, which doesn\u2019t intervene in presidential elections but spent tens of millions of dollars to influence the 2014 midterm congressional elections, said: \u201cWhile $200 million has been spent supporting GOP Presidential candidates that did not make it to the final three, many big donors are recognizing the importance of keeping the Senate pro-growth \u2014 and serving as the final backstop to confirm or reject federal regulators and judges.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The $200 million refers to contributions given directly to the candidates\u2019 campaigns, leaving out hundreds of millions of dollars given to outside groups supporting those candidates.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Chamber of Commerce doesn\u2019t reveal its donors.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>So far, donors have funneled more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2015\/10\/16\/18631\/see-how-much-2016-presidential-candidates-have-raised-so-far\" target=\"_blank\">$520 million<\/a> collectively into campaigns and outside groups supporting Republican presidential candidates who have now dropped out \u2014 and the primaries are far from over.<\/p>\n<p>Only U.S. Sen. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2015\/03\/23\/16947\/ted-cruzs-presidential-cash-hunt-commences\" target=\"_blank\">Ted Cruz<\/a> of Texas, Ohio Gov.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2015\/07\/21\/17209\/9-things-know-about-john-kasich\" target=\"_blank\">John Kasich<\/a> and Trump remain in the Republican presidential primary, and they\u2019re aggressively courting those who once wrote checks to their opponents. But some GOP megadonors with millions of dollars to spend haven\u2019t selected a new date to the presidential dance. Others are on the arms of their second and third choices.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, members of the Ricketts family, which owns the Chicago Cubs, contributed $5 million to a super PAC supporting Wisconsin Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2015\/07\/13\/17225\/12-things-know-about-scott-walker\" target=\"_blank\">Scott Walker\u2019s<\/a> presidential bid.<\/p>\n<p>Since Walker withdrew in September, the Ricketts have not thrown substantial support behind another presidential candidate. But since January, members of the Ricketts family have <a href=\"http:\/\/docquery.fec.gov\/pdf\/071\/201603139009738071\/201603139009738071.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">contributed<\/a> $5 million to an anti-Trump effort, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, the Ending Spending Action Fund,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/endingspending.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\">founded<\/a> by Joe Ricketts, has continued to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/pacs\/indexpend.php?cmte=C00489856&amp;cycle=2016&amp;txt=\" target=\"_blank\">spend money<\/a> on the U.S. Senate race in New Hampshire.<\/p>\n<p>Brian Baker, the president of Ending Spending Action Fund, said that \u201ceveryone is all over the map,\u201d when it comes to deciding whether to continue contributing to presidential candidates versus down-ballot races.<\/p>\n<p>Another Republican megadonor, billionaire investor Paul Singer, supported U.S. Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2015\/04\/13\/17058\/12-things-know-about-marco-rubio\" target=\"_blank\">Marco Rubio<\/a> until he suspended his campaign earlier this month. Singer is also <a href=\"http:\/\/www.politico.com\/story\/2016\/03\/donald-trump-wall-street-220141\" target=\"_blank\">reportedly<\/a> boosting anti-Trump efforts; one Rubio fundraiser who attended a meeting of supporters shortly before the Florida primary this month said Singer was outspoken on the subject of Trump, referring to him as a \u201cplague.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Singer did not respond to questions submitted through his lawyer about his political spending plans and his comments about Trump.<\/p>\n<p>New campaign finance reports filed Sunday show Singer <a href=\"http:\/\/docquery.fec.gov\/pdf\/267\/201603209011705267\/201603209011705267.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">gave<\/a> $1 million to the anti-Trump Our Principles PAC.<\/p>\n<p>Mica Mosbacher, a fundraiser for Cruz, said his finance operation has long been attempting to woo Republican donors who initially backed other GOP presidential hopefuls.<\/p>\n<div class=\"main-body\">\n<div class=\"field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden clearfix\">\n<div class=\"field-items\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"field-item even\">\n<div class=\"body-copy-inner\">\n<p>\u201cWe asked folks in, say, the Bush or Rubio camp to consider Cruz as a second, third, fourth choice,\u201d she said in an email. \u201cMoney is not drying up for Cruz. His path is still possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI never support more than one candidate at a time, but I need to be realistic,\u201d said Houston real estate developer Welcome Wilson Sr., who supported former Texas Gov.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2015\/06\/04\/17440\/12-things-know-about-rick-perry\" target=\"_blank\">Rick Perry<\/a>\u2019s bid and now helps to raise money for Cruz.<\/p>\n<p>His son, Welcome Wilson Jr., also started out supporting Perry. Then he backed former Florida Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2015\/06\/15\/17142\/12-things-know-about-jeb-bush\" target=\"_blank\">Jeb Bush<\/a> \u2014 a high school classmate, according to his father. He is now supporting Cruz, as well.<\/p>\n<p>Wilson said his politically inclined associates are still willing to attend presidential fundraisers he\u2019s hosting. Wilson cites what he described as a well-attended fundraising breakfast he recently conducted for Cruz, which featured the senator\u2019s wife, Heidi Cruz.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, two \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/templates\/story\/story.php?storyId=14434721\" target=\"_blank\">bundlers<\/a>\u201d who raised money for Bush\u2019s campaign and subsequently for Rubio\u2019s effort said some donors in their networks are reluctant to support yet another presidential candidate. This is forcing the bundlers to be judicious as they consider their next move.<\/p>\n<p>Both men asked not to be named, saying they didn\u2019t want Trump, Cruz or Kasich \u2014 or other down-ballot candidates, for that matter \u2014 nagging them for money.<\/p>\n<p>One campaign bundler said he will likely support Cruz. Another said that for now, he\u2019s taking a break from presidential fundraising \u2014 and may look at supporting Senate candidates, instead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Congress-focused super PACs and nonprofits are reporting heightened interest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":72046,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[708,705,226,116],"class_list":["post-137699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","tag-2016-election","tag-money-in-politics","tag-presidential-race","tag-washington"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137699\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}