Political Money Report 10/17/16 - Clinton builds largest big-money operation & Trump attracts mega-donors

Koch brothers invest in Senate races, ignore Trump

October 17, 2016

A NOTE FROM FRED

Hillary Clinton has proposed sweeping campaign finance reforms, the strongest and most comprehensive ever proposed by a presidential candidate. The reforms would fundamentally change the way our campaigns are financed, but a New York Times editorial points out that the reform proposals “demand dedicated follow-through from Mrs. Clinton, should she win the White House, particularly since her own campaign has been driven by large amounts of special-interest, Wall Street and super PAC financing.” Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, as candidates, each committed to treat campaign finance reform as a priority, but once elected never seriously pursued the reforms. If this is actually going to be a “top priority” as Clinton has promised to make it if elected, she has to take concrete steps to make this commitment a reality for her White House staff and administration.

"Tom Steyer envies what Charles Koch built," says CNN. Steyer spent $75 million in 2014 on TV ads, but Democrats lost almost every race. This year, Steyer and Democrats are copying the Kochs' strategy - focusing on issue-based canvassing over ad buys. "Steyer's vehicle: a new super PAC called For Our Future, which is trying to crack a chronic problem for Democrats: how to convince a seemingly endless cadre of niche Democratic interest groups, each with their own field programs, to work together." Read more

"Clinton has built the biggest big-money operation ever," says POLITICO. The campaign has built a network of over 1,100 "Hillblazers" or bundlers who have raised at least $100,000. This is nearly double what Obama did four years ago. The bundlers have raised at least $13 million for Clinton and the Democratic Party. Read more

The Koch brothers invest in Senate races, ignore Trump. Koch-backed groups are on track to spend $250 million on policy and politics this election cycle. "The Kochs never considered engaging in a Trump-Clinton match," says AP and are instead focused on maintaining GOP control of the House and Senate. For example, the Kochs' data shop identified what it believes are 5 million Senate control-deciding voters to target in eight states. Read more

House GOP super PAC collects largest fundraising haul ever, says the Washington Post. The Congressional Leadership Fund raised over $31 million last quarter, more than nine times greater than what it raised during this time in Election 2014. Sheldon Adleson and his wife gave the group $20 million. Read more

Trump attracts big donors. Sheldon Adelson and his wife gave $10 million last month to Future45, a super PAC running ads attacking Clinton. WWE co-founder Linda McMahon contributed $6 million in August and September to another pro-Trump super PAC, says USA TODAY. Read more

"Senate GOP faces late cash crunch," says POLITICO. Democratic candidates and groups are planning to spend more on TV ads then Republicans in seven of eight battleground Senate states in the next month. "The spending disadvantage could badly hinder the GOP’s prospects, and it has led to growing frustration among the party’s top strategists." Read more

2016 FACT OF THE DAY

Between July and September, lobbyists bundled nearly $11 million for the Clinton campaign and the Hillary Victory Fund. The Trump campaign nor the Trump Victory fund did not report any lobbyist bundlers, says the Washington Post. Read more

IN THE STATES

CA: Clinton spent the weekend in California for a final round of fundraisers, including one hosted by Sir Elton John. She has headlined nearly 70 fundraisers in the state during her campaign. Read more

TX: Donors in Texas continue to give large amounts to the Trump Victory Fund. Texans gave $8.5 million in July, August and September, making up 35% of all contributions to Trump Victory. Read more

PA: A pro-Toomey super PAC wrote to GOP mega-donor Joe Ricketts saying, "We need to keep spending parity with the Dems and focus on negative ads to give Sen. Toomey the victory...This is a very winnable race even with the presidential polls currently showing Trump down." Read more

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

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