The main super PAC backing Nikki Haley said Thursday that it raised $50.1 million in the second half of 2023, a hefty sum that dwarfs the amount raised by the leading super PAC supporting former President Donald J. Trump.
The group, SFA Fund Inc., provided the figure to The New York Times but gave no further details about its finances. Detailed filings are due Jan. 31 with the Federal Election Commission and include details of all fundraising and spending the group made between July 1 and Dec. 31.
The Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. said Thursday that it raised more than $46 million in the second half of 2023 and that it ended the year with just over $23 million in cash.
In all of 2023, SFA Fund Inc. – short for Stand for America Fund – raised $68.9 million. It’s not clear how much the group has on hand, but records show the group spent big: $61.7 million on independent expenses – mostly advertising costs – in the second half of the year.
While the gains of Ms. Haley’s super PAC show how many donors flocked to her as the Republican field consolidated late last year, it is unclear whether she can maintain that financial strength in the two-person race against Mr. Trump. He beat her soundly in the first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire this month, but she has vowed to continue her fight for the nomination.
In a statement, Taylor Budowich, the chief executive of MAGA Inc., made no mention of Ms. Haley’s ongoing efforts.
“The parliamentary elections have already started,” he said. “President Trump has a clear path to victory, but Democrats are spending more money and doing it sooner than ever before.”
One of the largest donors to MAGA Inc. was Timothy Mellon, a transportation executive and heir to the Mellon family banking fortune, who gave $10 million, a MAGA Inc. representative said.
Mr. Mellon has supported Mr. Trump’s re-election efforts in the past, but last spring he donated $5 million to a super PAC that supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr., then running for president as a Democrat and now a independent party seeks bid.
Shane Goldmacher contributed reporting.
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2024-01-25 20:00:03
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