Campaign Donations Archives

De$antis Kept Money from Illegal Campaign Donation

October 31, 2022 Buck Banks

$213,000

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) “has millions at his disposal, yet his campaign has not returned $213,000 in contributions from a fugitive charged with making illegal straw donations,” the Miami Herald reports.

Trump Gives $10 Million to His Campaign

October 31, 2016 Buck Banks

$10 million

“Donald Trump, seeking to boost momentum in the last days of the presidential election, wired $10 million of his own money into his presidential campaign Friday morning,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The cash infusion will be used to buy $25 million in new TV advertising in key battleground states. … Mr. Trump’s latest donation to his cause still falls $34 million short of the $100 million he has repeatedly said he will give to his campaign—a pledge he reiterated as recently as Wednesday.”

Trump’s Such a Great Boss …

October 14, 2016 Buck Banks

22,450

Estimated number of people employed at Donald Trump’s companies. Only a dozen have contributed more than $200 to his campaign, reports Reuters.

Clinton Raised $154 Million in September

October 3, 2016 Buck Banks

$154 million

Amount Hillary Clinton’s campaign raised in September, marking its best fundraising month, Politico reports.

Trump an Old Hand at Pay-to-Play Politics in New York

September 7, 2016 Buck Banks

In the 1980s, Mr. Trump was compelled to testify under oath before New York State officials after he directed tens of thousands of dollars to the president of the New York City Council through myriad subsidiary companies to evade contribution limits. In the 1990s, the Federal Election Commission fined Mr. Trump for exceeding the annual limit on campaign contributions by $47,050, the largest violation in a single year. And in 2000, the New York State lobbying commission imposed a $250,000 fine for Mr. Trump’s failing to disclose the full extent of his lobbying of state legislators.

— New York Times

Mega-Donor Steyer Spending Big on 2016 Elections

August 31, 2016August 31, 2016 Buck Banks

I’m scared to look. You can quote me on that.

— Democratic mega-donor Tom Steyer, quoted by the Palm Springs Desert Sun, when asked how much he’ll spend on elections this year.

Only 11% of Boehner’s Campaign Money is Donated in Ohio

May 27, 2014 Buck Banks

89%

Of House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) campaign contributions come from outside of his home state of Ohio, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Super Donor Avoids Meeting ‘Disappointing’ Candidates and Politicians

May 5, 2014 Buck Banks

I go out of my way to avoid meeting candidates and politicians. All too often, these people are so disappointing that it’s depressing. Most of these people you meet, they’re unemployable…. It’s just easier not to know.

— GOP super donor John Jordan, quoted by National Journal.

Campaign Funds Sources Getting Harder to Identify

March 19, 2014 Buck Banks

$336 million

Spending by “dark money” groups — organizations that do not have to disclose the sources of their political money — in 2012, according to Federal Election Commission and Internal Revenue Service data. Dark money has skyrocketed from about $25 million in 2000.

The Dead Can’t Vote, But They Can Contribute

August 5, 2013 Buck Banks

32

The number of people listed on federal campaign records as “deceased” who nonetheless have contributed more than $586,000 to congressional and presidential candidates and political parties since Jan. 1, 2009, according to USA Today.

$213,000

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) “has millions at his disposal, yet his campaign has not returned $213,000 in contributions from a fugitive charged with making illegal straw donations,” the Miami Herald reports.

$10 million

22,450

Estimated number of people employed at Donald Trump’s companies. Only a dozen have contributed more than $200 to his campaign, reports Reuters.

$154 million

Amount Hillary Clinton’s campaign raised in September, marking its best fundraising month, Politico reports.

— New York Times

I’m scared to look. You can quote me on that.

— Democratic mega-donor Tom Steyer, quoted by the Palm Springs Desert Sun, when asked how much he’ll spend on elections this year.

89%

Of House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) campaign contributions come from outside of his home state of Ohio, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

I go out of my way to avoid meeting candidates and politicians. All too often, these people are so disappointing that it’s depressing. Most of these people you meet, they’re unemployable…. It’s just easier not to know.

— GOP super donor John Jordan, quoted by National Journal.

$336 million

Spending by “dark money” groups — organizations that do not have to disclose the sources of their political money — in 2012, according to Federal Election Commission and Internal Revenue Service data. Dark money has skyrocketed from about $25 million in 2000.

32

The number of people listed on federal campaign records as “deceased” who nonetheless have contributed more than $586,000 to congressional and presidential candidates and political parties since Jan. 1, 2009, according to USA Today.

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

— Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) on the “resign or be fired” ultimatum from the GOP’s Freedom Caucus just 174 days into his tenure as sp[eaker, reported by Punchbowl News.

“Trump’s head slowly dropped, his eyes closed. It jerked back upward. He adjusts himself. Then, his head droops again. He straightens up, leaning back. His head droops for a third time, he shakes his shoulders. Eyes closed still. His head drops. Finally, he pops his eyes open.”

— Law360 reports from the second day of Donald Trump’s “hush money” criminal trial.

— Jonathan Last

“He’s f**king crazy! The press often will ask me if I think Donald Trump is crazy. And I’ll say it this way: I don’t think he’s so crazy that you could put him in a mental institution. But I think if he were in one, he ain’t getting out!”

— New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), quoted by the Associated Press two years ago. Sununu is now backing Trump for president.

— North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) described his loving approach to disciplining misbehaving children, WUNC reports.

Numerati

50 of 96

New York Times: “Of the 96 possible jurors brought into the room, more than 50 raised their hands to say they couldn’t be fair. They were immediately excused.”

20%

$3.5 billion

39%

$71 million