GOP campaign financing: Part 5

Photo credit: Politico.com

GOP campaign financing: Part 5 ~ Ted Cruz

Senator Ted Cruz is running as an outsider presidential candidate, and he appeals to conservatives. He missed the SOTU speech last night because he was in New Hampshire campaigning. He referred to the SOTU as the State of Denial Address, a view probably shared by most Tea Party Patriots. A number of Ohio conservative activists already support or have endorsed his candidacy. Where do Cruz's campaign funds come from?

The Federal Election Committee report (click on the candidate’s name on the linked page) shows that almost all of the $26 million that he has raised comes from individuals. But is that the end of the story?

The FEC page for Jeb! Bush shows that the lion’s share of his $24 million comes from individuals. Yet we already know that Jeb! has received over $100 million from funds contributed toSuperPACS. Those funds aren't showing up on the FEC page for Jeb!

So are any SuperPACs funding Cruz’s campaign? Yes. Club for Growth, as reported by CNN: 

Cruz is a natural fit for the group, which is unafraid to battle in Republican primaries. One of the main donors to the Club for Growth's super PAC, New York hedge funder Bob Mercer, gave $11 million to start his own super PAC backing Cruz, Keep the Promise I.    

Sundance at Conservative Treehousealso reported on the relationship between Mercer, the SuperPAC, and Breitbart Media Group: 

The Breitbart Media Group is financially backed and funded by Hedge-fund billionaire Robert Mercer. Mercer was/is the originating financial backer for the Ted Cruz “Keep the Promise” (KtP 1, KtP2 and KtP3) Super-PACs.  Mercer is also the financial backing behind Cambridge Analytica.

Cambridge Analytica is the receiver of the contact information provided to Breitbart when you participate in their on-line Presidential Poll.

In essence, when you participate [in] the Breitbart poll, you are sending your personal information into a data-base controlled by the proprietary interests of Robert Mercer, Cambridge Analytica. The Ted Cruz campaign then uses the data collected to fund-raise on behalf of the Campaign.

There are more links in that report; just scroll down. Breitbart is an excellent resource for news, opinion, and analysis. But like most media, including alternative media, it can be influenced by major financial backers.

For background on Chris Christie’s fund-raising, posted earlier on this blogsite, go here.

For background on Dr. Ben Carson’s fund-raising, posted earlier on this blogsite, go here.

For background on Jeb Bush’s fund-raising, posted earlier on this blogsite, go here.

For background on Marco Rubio’s fund-raising, posted earlier on this blogsite, go here.

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Federal Election Commission Announces New Mobile App

The Federal Elections Commission (FEC) has just released a new mobile app for iPhones...

From FEC --

WASHINGTON – The Federal Election Commission today released the first in a series of FEC Mobile web pages designed to run on mobile devices. These web pages provide easier public access to campaign finance data and information about Commission activities.

“I am pleased to announce the launch of the FEC's new mobile interface,” said Chair Cynthia L. Bauerly. “I greatly appreciate the efforts of the agency staff who worked on this project, which will further the FEC's mission of disclosing campaign finance data.”

“By optimizing our data for mobile devices, we are making it possible to access the wealth of information available through our website in a more convenient manner,” Bauerly said. “Once again, the FEC is leveraging new technologies in an effort to serve the public in innovative ways.”

The series released today at http://www.fec.gov/mobile/ includes:

• presidential candidate summary data in a graphic view that allows drilling down for details such as receipts, disbursements and cash-on-hand;
• a calendar with dates for commission meetings, reporting deadlines, conferences, advisory opinions and litigation;
• audio with links to audio files of recent hearings;
• the FEC channel on YouTube with instructional videos on campaign finance law and practices; and
• a Twitter feed with FEC updates.

This is a Beta release.  It is designed to run on devices using the iPhone platforms.  Many of the features also work on other platforms. Full versions for other mobile devices will be released at a later date.

Click Here For App