Wednesday, February 22, 2012

CHART: The 19 Super PAC Donors Who Have Poured $47 Million Into The GOP Race

By Josh Israel/Think Progress




Once again this week, independent-expenditure-only “Super PACs” disclosed their donors for the month of January 2012. A ThinkProgress analysis of these new filings and previously available data reveals that 19 wealthy donors have already given a million dollars or more each, combining to funnel $46.75 million to Republican-allied Super PACs so far this cycle.
It comes as little surprise that this list is dominated by financial sector investors (8), energy and chemical producers (4), and real estate developers (3). All are white. Only one, the wife of casino tycoon Sheldon Edelson, is female. The Obama administration has backed financial sector consumer protections and environmental regulations unpopular with big Wall Street and big energy.
The 19 donors’ contributions accounted for about 53 percent of the $88.2 million combined receipts for those committees. Here are the 19:
DonorDonationsSector
Harold Simmons/Contran Corp.$14.1MChemicals
Sheldon Adelson$5MCasinos and hotels
Miriam Adelson$5MCasinos and hotels
Bob Perry$3.5MReal Estate/Construction
Peter Thiel$2.6MFinance/Investment
Jon Huntsman Sr.$2.2MChemicals
Jerry Perenchio Living Trust$2MMedia
Julian Robertson$1.25MFinance/Investment
Robert B. Rowling$1.1MEnergy
Edward Conard$1MFinance/Investment
Robert Mercer$1MFinance/Investment
John Paulson$1MFinance/Investment
Paul Singer$1MFinance/Investment
Foster Friess$1MFinance/Investment
Rooney Holdings Inc.$1MReal Estate/Construction
William Dore$1MEnergy
Whiteco Industries$1MReal Estate/Construction
F8 LLC (Jeremy Blickenstaff)$1MFinance/Investment
Eli Publishing (Steve Lund)$1MCosmetics
These donations went to Super PACs backing GOP hopefuls Newt Gingrich (Winning Our Future), Ron Paul (Endorse Liberty), Mitt Romney (Restore Our Future), Rick Santorum (Red, White & Blue), backing former candidates Jon Huntsman Jr. (Our Destiny), Rick Perry (Make Us Great Again), and Republican candidates in general (American Crossroads).
To equal just their Super PAC contributions, political campaigns would need to collect more than 18,000 checks for $5,000 — the individual limit. Republican strategist Christopher LaCivita told the New York Times that these super donors are “serious business tycoons.” And these serious business tycoons are seriously overwhelming the political system with their contributions.

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