"Trump's missing donors - the people who work for him."
Wertheimer's Political Money Report
October 13, 2016
A NOTE FROM FRED
 
Super PACs are playing an unprecedented role in the 2016 Senate races. As a result, with a month to go in the 2016 elections spending for TV ads on Senate races by candidates, parties, super PACs and other outside groups is $561 million, far exceeding the $346 million spent by such groups on ads for the presidential race. The reasons for the greatly increased spending in Senate races are twofold: there is a tight battle taking place for control of the Senate and many top Republican super PAC donors are refusing to support Donald Trump and putting their money instead into Senate races. As of October 11, super PACs have already raised $1.1 billion and spent $736 billion, the great bulk of it on negative attack ads. This further adds to the American people's cynicism about government and their elected leaders.  
Two major GOP donors ask for their money back, says NBC News. One donor wrote to a Trump fundraiser that, "I regret coming to the Trump support event...I respectfully request that my money be refunded." Another emailed that, "I have three young children and will not support a crude sexist man...I expect a refund of my donation." Read more

Chelsea Clinton raised concerns about conflicts of interest at Clinton Foundation. Emails released by WikiLeaks reveal concerns Chelsea Clinton had about "her father’s closest aides trying to cash in by using the former president’s name to gain access to government officials on behalf of paying clients," says POLITICO. Republicans have alleged that the Clintons used the Foundation to enrich themselves by "auctioning off access." Read more

Trump raises millions in Texas fundraising swing. After Sunday's debate, Trump headed to San Antonio and Dallas where he picked up millions at private fundraisers. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick attended both fundraisers with Trump. Read more 

Billionaire Tom Steyer and labor unions raise big bucks for get-out-the-vote efforts. The For Our Future PAC has raised $60 million for its goal of mobilizing African American, Latino and millennial voters in battleground states, says the Washington Post. Steyer has given $20 million to the PAC and the rest of the funds have come from labor unions like the AFL-CIO and American Federation of Teachers. Read more 

"Trump's missing donors - the people who work for him." Only a dozen of an estimated 22,450 people employed at Trump's companies have donated more than $200 to the celebrity businessman's bid for the U.S. presidency, according to Reuters. "The contributors, including an office cleaner, a golf course groundskeeper, a bartender and an attorney, have given $5,298 to Trump's campaign, a fraction of the $112 million Trump's political operation has received from donors and joint fundraisers." Read more
2016 FACT OF THE DAY

$0 - The amount the RNC has spent on commercials boosting Trump since he became the Republican nominee, according to POLITICO. Read more

IN THE STATES
CA: Individual donors are spending big on ballot initiatives in CA. Charles Munger Jr. has given over $10 million to support Prop 54 to prohibit the legislature from passing any bill unless it's been published online for 72 hours. Tom Steyer has given 5.5 million to support Prop 56 which would increase the state's tobacco tax. Read more

MO: The owner of TAMKO Building Products has given at least $3.5 million to the super PAC supporting AG candidate Josh Hawley. A class action lawsuit is currently pending in MO against TAMKO for faulty roofing materials. The state AG has wide-ranging powers to intervene in such lawsuits. Read more  

MI: 100 days after the state Senate signed off on millions in tax breaks for data centers, the company seeking the tax breaks gave $10,000 to an account that pays for Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof's expenses. Read more

By: Fred Wertheimer (@FredWertheimer) & Kathryn Beard (@KathrynBeard)
 
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