Ted Cruz’s litigious hedge fund backer emerges as top 2016 donor

MSNBC ^ | August 5, 2015 | Emma Margolin

[2ndDivisionVet]

Republican presidential candidate and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has made clear he’s not afraid to lose friends and alienate people. There is one man, however, who’s unlikely to find himself on Cruz’s bad side anytime soon: An enigmatic hedge funder by the name of Robert Mercer, one of only a handful of billionaires who together have lifted Cruz out of the typically out-financed “base-candidate” category into his current status as a top-tier competitor.

Federal Election Commission filings released last week showed that the 68-year-old Mercer, who earns his fortune as co-CEO of the hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, donated more than $11 million to Cruz-affiliated super PACs — or outside groups empowered by the 2010 Citizens United decision to accept unlimited sums of money from individuals and corporations to support a candidate, so long as those groups technically work independently of the candidate’s campaign. While the filings released at the end of July revealed that a number of GOP presidential hopefuls have been filling their campaign war chests with such million-dollar donations, no one has benefited more from this type of giving than Cruz. That’s largely because no individual donor has pumped more money into the presidential election this year than Mercer.

Cruz is currently in second place behind former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the 2016 Republican money race. Though he often likes to boast that he’s raised more “hard money” through his actual campaign — $14.3 million — than anyone else in the crowded GOP field, Cruz also enjoys the support of four wealthy super PACs that together have raised approximately $38 million. Nearly all of that money came from just three families, according to a New York Times analysis.

Both Cruz and Mercer are notoriously tight-lipped about each other; neither agreed to speak with msnbc for this story....

[2ndDivisionVet]

Waiting for an article like this about John Ellis, Hillary, Gang of Eight or Bernie? Don't hold your breath.

[PoloSec]

Find me a billionaire that is litigious, as hard as they try then cannot find anything to hit Cruz over the head with so they left to making things up “litigious” indeed.

[PoloSec]

Correction “a billionaire that IS NOT litigious”.

[amihow]

More evidence Cruz is a corporatist not a true Conservative. True conservaties hate Citizen’s United the bankroll for both Dem and Rep corporate ownership of government.

Do not be fooled by Cruz America.

[nascarnation]

Cruz, Trump, and Bush have the dough.
I see them in the stretch run.

Bush is going to be difficult to beat unless Hillary has some significant opposition in the D primaries.

[hoosiermama]

Unfortunately true
My heart sinks !

[cripplecreek]

So tell me. Which plan do you prefer?

Only self funding billionaires run for president.

Taxpayer funded campaigns with approved candidates.

[cripplecreek]

Liberal campaign financiers do so out of a deep love for humanity. How dare you question the integrity of Tom Steyer.

Why do you hate the earth?

[2ndDivisionVet]

Hahahahaha! Man, I have to give you an A for effort, at least.

[Isara]

Our Standard: The Constitution

Ted Cruz has spent a lifetime fighting to defend the Constitution — our nation’s founding document and the supreme law of the land — which was crafted by our founding fathers to act as chains to bind the mischief of government and to protect the liberties endowed to us by our Creator.

Religious Liberty

• Defended Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties against Obamacare’s contraception mandate.
• Led the way on several cases including a U.S. Supreme Court case that preserved the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Successfully defended the words “under God” in the Texas Pledge of Allegiance and Texas schools’ moment of silence law in federal district court.
• Galvanized national support for Houston pastors who had been subpoenaed by the City of Houston to provide the content of their sermons forcing the City to back down.
• Supported the right of students to display banners containing religious content at school sporting events.
• Successfully defended the constitutionality of the Texas Ten Commandments monument, winning a 5-4 landmark decision before the U.S. Supreme Court, setting an important national precedent for the right to display similar monuments.
• Fought to help the Boy Scouts of America to reverse a district court ruling barring them from leasing a public park.

Second Amendment

• Played a crucial role in preventing federal legislation to restrict the Second Amendment rights of Americans.
• Authored legislation to strengthen the Second Amendment rights of Americans by allowing interstate firearms sales.
• Led 31 states in District of Columbia v. Heller where the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a ban on firearms in a 5-4 landmark decision.
  • Honored by the National Rifle Association with a 2008 resolution for his leadership in the Heller case, which noted that his “efforts made this victory for the American people possible.”
  • Awarded the NRA’s 2010 Carter-Knight Freedom Fund, which “rewards exemplary activities in the support and protection of the right to Keep and Bear Arms” for his work in the Heller and McDonald cases.
• Argued against unreasonable and burdensome gun restrictions before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
• Recognized by NRA executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre who observed, “Ted Cruz is one of our nation’s leading defenders of the Second Amendment. For over a decade, Ted has fought tirelessly to defend our constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and his leadership was absolutely critical to our major victories before the U.S. Supreme Court.”

U.S. Sovereignty

• Fought and won a landmark ruling for U.S. sovereignty in Medellin v. Texas at the U.S. Supreme Court against 90 foreign nations and the President to ensure the supremacy of U.S. legal system against encroachment by international treaties and rulings of the “World Court.”
• Cosponsored a resolution urging the president not to sign the UN Arms Treaty, which would have subordinated the Second Amendments rights of American citizens to global interests.

Government Overreach

• Called for a special prosecutor to investigate the targeting of conservatives by the IRS.

 

More Proven Records:

• STRONGER, SAFER AMERICA
• LIFE, MARRIAGE & FAMILY
• JOBS & OPPORTUNITY

[ConservativeDude]

True conservaties hate Citizen’s United”

LOL

Is that you Lindsey Graham?

Tired of all the cell phone calls so you are now here at FR?

[grania]

I liked the Cruz of his magnificent 21 hours and who started his campaign with small donations from constitutional conservatives. I don’t like the Cruz who wants to dramatically INCREASE H1B Visas and got played on that trade deal. Those big donors? They don’t get that rich unless they spend their money wisely. Not sure it’s a good direction.

[ConservativeDude]

True conservaties hate Citizen’s United”

That’s like sayin’,

‘True conservatives hate freedom!”

[onyx]

And the problem is?

Thanks to Mr. Mercer, the GOP has Senator Cotton (Arkansas), Senator Thom Tillis (NC) and NOT a Senator Michelle Nunn (D GA)!

His donations are within the rules!

His donations are a mere pittance when compared to George Soros on the Commie/Demonic-rat side!

GO CRUZ!

THANK YOU, MR. MERCER & FAMILY!

[amihow]

Those are the reasons I have been a fan for two years. The corporatist part of him is so destructive that I have to object to his candidacy. I have been a long time fan of his mentor Robert George and believe Cruz has a head knowledge of the Natural Law. Thetefore, his corporatist leanings surprises me and saddens me. But I will object on immigration and trade etc. grounds.

[Jack Black]

Cruz, Trump, and Bush have the dough. I see them in the stretch run.

Not clear it makes that much difference. Things are different now. Sure, you need some money to compete, but in Iowa, Hew Hampshire and South Carolina it's probably not going to turn the race your way.

Trump and Bush are first tier candidates, along with Walker. Cruz is at the bottom of the second tier. I suspect Walker can and will stay in the race longer after Cruz, because it's more than money that makes you a front-runner. In fact Walker has a good chance of winning the nomination.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Ted Cruz was at 3% at this point in his senate race. Discuss.

[Isara]

Stronger, Safer America

A safer, stronger America safeguards freedom at home and across the globe. That’s why Ted Cruz has fought tirelessly to defend our nation’s servicemen and women, to restore America’s leadership in the world, and to secure our border and streamline our legal immigration system.

• Opposed the Obama Administration’s dangerous deal with Iran that would allow Iran to pursue nuclear weapons.
• Spearheaded legislation passed unanimously by Congress and signed by the President to prevent known terrorists from entering the United States as ambassadors to the United Nations.
• Successfully pressured the Obama Administration to lift its unprecedented FAA ban on flights to Israel after exposing the move as, in essence, an economic boycott of our strongest ally in the Middle East. The ban was lifted within 36 hours of the Senator’s actions
• Championed the Expatriate Terrorist Act to prevent Americans who join ISIS from returning to the United States to commit acts of terror at home.
• Introduced legislation passed by the Senate to provide rewards for information leading to the arrest of Hamas terrorists responsible for the murder of American and Israeli teenagers.
• Led the charge on a bipartisan resolution passed by the Senate to condemn Hamas’ use of civilians as human shields.
• Authored legislation to allow victims of the Fort Hood terrorist attack to be awarded the Purple Heart and appropriate benefits.
• Joined Texas and 25 other states in a lawsuit to stop President Obama’s illegal executive amnesty.
• Authored legislation to triple the size of the U.S. Border Patrol.
• Authored legislation to streamline and simplify our legal immigration system by consolidating segmented visas, creating real and transparent caps, eliminating the diversity visa lottery, and treating all immigrants equally by eliminating the per-country caps.
• Urged the strictest enforcement of laws punishing those with prior felony convictions who entered the country illegally in a U.S. Supreme Court Brief in Lopez v. Gonzales.
• Authored legislation to ensure that members of our military deployed to combat the spread of Ebola are entitled to the same tax benefits as those serving in a combat zone.
• Promoted the strengthening of existing law to prevent discrimination or retaliation against military service members who appropriately express their religious faith.
• Represented more than 3 million veterans before the U.S. Supreme Court in Salazar v. Buono, defending the constitutionality of the Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial. Along with co-counsel Kelly Shackelford of the Liberty Institute, then-Solicitor General Cruz fought for The American Legion, The Veterans of Foreign Wars, The Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the American Ex-Prisoners of War. In April 2010, the Supreme Court handed down a 5-4 decision in favor of the veterans.
• Defended the constitutionality of the federal Solomon Amendment, which requires universities receiving federal funds to grant U.S. military recruiters equal access to campuses, notwithstanding the universities’ opposition to the military’s policies concerning sexual orientation.
• Authored legislation to close a loophole in the federal “Motor Voter” law that preempts states from enforcing requirements that would ensure those registered to vote are U.S. citizens.

[Tau Food]

Ted Cruz was at 3% at this point in his senate race. Discuss.

I think Cruz is doing everything just right. He was probably at .03% when I first endorsed him. I kind of liked the machine gun bacon thing. He got some attention without attacking other candidates and upsetting anybody. He's doing well drafting behind Trump.

[Jack Black]

Cruz and Trump and most of the others on immigration are poor. Numbers USA gives Cruz a "C+". Only Santorum gets an "A", among the front-runners Walker does best with a "B".