Trump PACs Burn Through $100 Million This Year

Political groups supporting Republican presidential contenders on Monday reported having tens of millions of dollars in the bank to help their favored candidates, while also footing the bill for expensive advertising, polling operations and—in the case of former President Donald Trump —millions more in legal fees.

Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, reported nearly $97 million on hand at the end of June. Make America Great Again, Trump’s super PAC, reported cash of about $31 million. The two super PACs topped the field of presidential-hopeful committees reporting fundraising and expense totals to the federal government.

The fundraising of those so-called super political-action committees, which can raise unlimited sums and buoy campaigns with independent expenditures on ads, are among the biggest advantages the GOP has in its effort to win back the White House. 

But the former president’s fundraising apparatus appears to be burning through cash. Three Trump-related entities—his super PAC, joint fundraising committee and leadership PAC—collectively spent more than $100 million during the first half of the year, Federal Election Commission data show. That figure can include financial transfers to other Trump groups affiliated with his campaign.

DeSantis’s Never Back Down was the target of a May legal complaint by a campaign-finance watchdog, which argued DeSantis and a state political group violated federal law by transferring millions to the super PAC. Representatives for DeSantis and Never Back Down didn’t return inquiries seeking comment Monday. 

Super PACs—created after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United and other cases—let individuals and corporations contribute unlimited sums to help a candidate. They are barred from coordinating with the campaigns they support—a limitation rarely enforced—and can effectively buoy candidates by running ads in expensive media markets, for instance.

The source of super PAC money isn’t always clear. A group backing former New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie received $1 million from Denton, Texas-based SHBT LLC, which has no readily accessible website and traces to a small office building. And a firm with scant business records called Farrington Rocket LLC gave $2 million to a PAC supporting North Dakota GOP Gov. Doug Burgum.

A Trump political-action committee spent at least $21 million on legal fees this year, an initial review showed Monday. Previously, people familiar with the matter said the former president’s group spent about $40 million. A Trump campaign spokesman didn’t return a request for comment. Trump faces criminal indictments from the Justice Department and the Manhattan district attorney, among other legal troubles.

Much of the GOP-backed field of super PACs, however, devoted much of their money to media expenses, voter canvassing and payroll. Opportunity Matters Fund, which is backing South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, spent at least $1 million on media and marketing costs. A group supporting former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who may not even qualify for the first Republican debate, paid more than $130,000 for polling. 

On the Democratic side, President Biden has no significant challenger for the nomination. Even so, he had about $77 million in the bank at the end of June, which included fundraising from other Biden-affiliated political committees. 

Democrats have taken advantage of super PACs since they sprang up a decade ago, although none appear as active as groups currently supporting Republicans. That is primarily because the GOP, lacking an incumbent in the White House, has a swath of candidates competing for the party’s nomination. 

Write to Jack Gillum at [email protected] and Anthony DeBarros at [email protected]