
少数几位超级金主正大举捐款,力图让共和党的中期选举希望得以延续。
A handful of megadonors are giving big to try and keep Republicans’ midterm hopes alive.
埃隆·马斯克在第三季度至少捐出2.76亿美元用于支持共和党,使他成为本轮选举周期中迄今为止支出最多的人。中西部航运大亨理查德·乌伊莱因又向一个超级政治行动委员会投入6600万美元,该委员会已在全美各地的联邦和州级竞选中支出,使他在本轮周期的捐款总额超过1.3亿美元。宾夕法尼亚州商人杰夫·亚斯又向一个支持维韦克·拉马斯瓦米竞选俄亥俄州州长的超级政治行动委员会投入1000万美元,使他在本轮周期的捐款总额超过1.05亿美元。
Elon Musk gave at least $276 million to boost Republicans in the third quarter, making him by far the largest spender of the cycle. Midwestern shipping magnate Richard Uihlein put $66 million more into a super PAC that has spent in federal and state races across the country, bringing his total giving this cycle past $130 million. Pennsylvania businessman Jeff Yass put another $10 million into a super PAC backing Vivek Ramaswamy’s Ohio gubernatorial bid, increasing his total donations on the cycle to over $105 million.
据《政治报》对联邦选举委员会记录的审查,这三位亿万富翁本轮周期向共和党人提供的联邦捐款合计超过6亿美元。
Together, the three billionaires accounted for more than $600 million in federal donations to Republicans this cycle, according to a POLITICO review of Federal Election Commission records.
这些新提交的文件揭示了今年秋天已创下纪录的超级政治行动委员会支出,共和党人希望巨大的资金优势能帮助他们克服严峻的全国政治环境。这些文件还显示,仅少数几位大额捐款人就占了这一筹款缺口的绝大部分。
The new filings shed light on super PAC spending that has already set records this fall, with Republicans hoping a massive financial advantage can help them overcome a brutal national political environment. And they reveal how just a handful of large donors account for the bulk of that fundraising gap.
马斯克上季度向参议院领导力基金捐出1.58亿美元,这个共和党超级政治行动委员会随即把这笔钱投入它新设立的一个团体,用于在得克萨斯州竞争激烈的参议院选举中支持肯·帕克斯顿。马斯克第三季度还向另一个支持帕克斯顿的超级政治行动委员会“孤星自由政治行动委员会”捐出1000万美元,并向共和党众议院附属超级政治行动委员会“国会领导力基金”捐出2000万美元。
Musk gave $158 million last quarter to Senate Leadership Fund, which the GOP super PAC immediately poured into a new group it spun up to boost Ken Paxon in Texas’ hotly contested Senate race. Musk also gave $10 million to another pro-Paxton super PAC, Lone Star Liberty PAC, in the third quarter, along with $20 million to Congressional Leadership Fund, the GOP’s House-affiliated super PAC.
这位前政府效率部负责人去年曾不时与总统唐纳德·特朗普发生冲突,但如今又重新获得白宫的青睐。他还向“美国政治行动委员会”捐出超过8800万美元,这个超级政治行动委员会最初是他为支持特朗普2024年竞选而创建的,今年一直在代表全国各地的共和党候选人支付广告和拉票费用。
The former DOGE head, who conflicted with President Donald Trump at times last year but has found himself back in the White House’s good graces, also gave more than $88 million to America PAC, the super PAC he initially created to support Trump’s 2024 campaign and that has been paying for ads and canvassing on behalf of Republican candidates across the country this year.
Uihlein 是 Restoration PAC 的主要资助者,该组织在全国少数几场选举中投入资金,并向另一个专注于明尼苏达州州长选举的团体 Restore Sanity 捐款。根据联邦选举委员会记录,他本周期的联邦政治捐赠总额已超过 1.3亿美元,而其妻子 Elizabeth Uihlein 也向多个保守派团体捐赠了数百万美元。
Uihlein has been the primary funder of the group Restoration PAC, which has spent in a handful of races across the country and given to another group, Restore Sanity, focused on the Minnesota governor’s race. His total federal political giving this cycle now exceeds $130 million, according to FEC records, while wife, Elizabeth Uihlein, has also given millions to various conservative groups.
其他主要的共和党捐助者今年虽未达到九位数,但仍支出巨额现金:Timothy Mellon 是 2024 年仅次于 Musk 的最大捐助者,他在第三季度向众议院共和党超级政治行动委员会捐赠了 2000万美元。
Other major GOP donors haven’t hit nine figures this year but have nonetheless shelled out significant cash: Timothy Mellon, who was the biggest donor after Musk in 2024, gave $20 million to House Republicans’ super PAC in the third quarter.
民主党也有少数大型捐助者——尽管没有任何公开捐款规模能与最大共和党资助者相匹配。与投资者兼长期民主党巨额捐助者 George Soros 关联的两个实体在本周期早期向其关联的政治行动委员会 Democracy PAC 捐赠了 1.02亿美元,后者又向一系列民主党团体提供了资金。Soros 还向民主党候选人和党派附属机构作出了一些较小的个人捐赠。
Democrats have a handful of large donors, too — although none whose disclosed donations match the heft of the biggest GOP funders. Two entities linked to investor and longtime Democratic megadonor George Soros gave $102 million earlier in the cycle to his linked PAC, Democracy PAC, which has in turn has given money to a range of Democratic groups. Soros has also made a smattering of smaller personal donations to Democratic candidates and party affiliates.
个人巨额捐助者的总额也不包括通过 501(c)(4) 非营利组织的所谓暗钱,这类组织使得直接追踪捐助者变得困难。其中两个组织——Majority Forward 和 House Majority Forward——已向民主党主要的国会超级政治行动委员会 House Majority PAC 和 Senate Majority PAC 合计转移了 1.63亿美元。
The totals from individual megadonors also do not account for so-called dark money passed through 501(c)(4) nonprofits that make it difficult to trace directly to donors. Two of those groups, Majority Forward and House Majority Forward, have transferred $163 million combined to Democrats’ major congressional super PACs, House Majority PAC and Senate Majority PAC.
在共和党方面,两个大型暗钱组织——American Action Network 和 One Nation——已向国会领袖基金会(Congressional Leadership Fund)和参议院领袖基金会(Senate Leadership Fund)合计捐赠了 1.97亿美元,这两者是相当于共和党超级政治行动委员会的机构。
On the Republican side, two large dark money groups, American Action Network and One Nation, have given a combined $197 million to Congressional Leadership Fund and Senate Leadership Fund, the equivalent GOP super PACs.