The inside story of Trump campaign’s connections to a big-money super PAC

Washington Post ^ | 10/19/2015 | By Matea Gold, Tom Hamburger and Jenna Johnson

[SeekAndFind]

As he brags that he is turning down millions of dollars for his presidential campaign, Donald Trump has leveled a steady line of attack against his rivals: that they are too cozy with big-money super PACs and may be breaking the law by coordinating with them.

“You know the nice part about me?” he told reporters in Iowa in August. “I don’t need anybody’s money.”

What Trump doesn’t say is that he and his top campaign aide have connections to a super PAC collecting large checks to support his candidacy — a group viewed by people familiar with his campaign as the sanctioned outlet for wealthy donors.

This summer, Trump appeared at at least two events for the Make America Great Again PAC, which took his campaign slogan as its name and received financing from his daughter’s mother-in-law. A consultant for the super PAC is a Republican operative who has previously worked with Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, according to several people with direct knowledge of their ties.

The Trump campaign’s links to the low-profile group could undercut the candidate’s posture as the only Republican in the race who has not sought to curry favor with wealthy donors, a central part of his anti-establishment message.

Lewandowski denied that Trump or the campaign had given the green light to Make America Great Again.

“Unlike other campaigns, we don’t have a quote-unquote designated super PAC that we tell people to give money to,” he said.

In a later interview, he threatened to file a lawsuit if The Washington Post reported that Trump had given the group his blessing.

[dp0622]

but they dont mention the news that in his books he said there would be a tragedy that would make the first twin towers attack look like nothing.

i loved those towers and he was right.

and we showed saudi arabia, from which 90 percent of the attackers came, a lesson by invading Iraq!

[WayneS]

...people familiar with his campaign...

In all fairness, and using the standard definition for "familiar", that phrase could be used to describe just about anyone who has not been living under a rock for the last 6 months.

[MNJohnnie]

See Rove at work, rumor, innuendo and hearsay reported as “fact”.

Classic Rove sleazy bag tactics.

[Bringbackthedraft]

Keep digging WAPO, you’ll hit pay dirt eventually, we can’t have Trump in the race. I wonder if they researched any of the others as much? We’ll wait till Oct. 2016, and they can report that Trump left his dorm one night while in military school.

[DouglasKC]

Look at Trump's FEC filings. He took NO money from any superpac. There's a section in there just for superpacs. Some moron just wrote an article claiming that the Trump campaign was going broke because he had zero income from super pacs.

Anyone can create a superpac. Just because someone creates a super pacs that doesn't mean trump endorses it or created it.

The article is written to make trump look like a hyprocrite and they purposely leave out the fact that trump has taken no money from them.

[WayneS]

We’ll wait till Oct. 2016, and they can report that Trump left his dorm one night while in military school.

...to meet up with...

...a...

...a...

...a GIRL!!!

The SCANDAL! The OUTRAGE!

[MNJohnnie]

https://www.opensecrets.org/pres16/candidate.php?id=N00023864

Facts here for those interested in finding them rather then just swallowing the Rove slime.

[Red Steel]

Inside story oooooh... WapO has a secret decoder ring.

[100American]

“By their words shall they be known...”

God Bless...

[nikos1121]

He admits there are super PACs out there, but he has no contact with them. Has anyone asked him to respond?

[dp0622]

I think the Donald wants to spend as little of his money as possible.

This is a guy who got his engagement ring for free!! an expensive one!

So what. If pacs are donating to his cause, they shouldn’t be expecting something in return, because he won’t be obliged by future needs for money.

Donald’s pretty sharp. I’m not overly concerned.

[Don Corleone]

Legalese weasel wording from Tokyo Rove and his whiteboard commandos.

[stephenjohnbanker]

“...people familiar with his campaign...”

His doorman

[onyx]

Candidate Summary, 2016 Cycle

Businessman

Declared candidacy

Trump, born in 1946, is a billionaire real estate developer, businessman and television personality. After decades of persistent flirtation with the idea of seeking a White House bid, Trump announced on June 16, 2015, that he would officially seek the GOP nomination. Having never previously held office, Trump will likely tout his success in business as the focal point of his presidential platform. But he is no stranger to Washington. Trump has been a frequent donor to both Democratic and Republican federal political candidates, spending tens of thousands of dollars supporting them and causing some to question his sincerity as a GOP candidate. He also sparked controversy by questioning whether President Barack Obama is a U.S. citizen, asking for his birth certificate and passport history. Candidacy declared: June 16, 2015

Fundraising Totals

Chart

* campaign committee

Campaign Committee Details

Total Raised	$5,735,514
Total Spent	$5,480,741
Cash on Hand	$254,773
Debts	$1,804,747
Date of Report	Sep 30, 2015

Source of Funds

Chart

	Individual Contributions  - Small Individual Contributions  - Large Individual Contributions	$3,825,880 $2,816,149 (49%) $1,094,080 (19%)	(67%)
	PAC Contributions	$0	(0%)
	Candidate self-financing	$1,909,577	(33%)
	Federal Funds	$0	(0%)
	Other	$58	(0%)

Personal Finances

• Profile
• 2016 Presidential File

Campaign & Outside Committees Backing Donald Trump

Organization	Type	Total Raised
Hispanic Citizens for Donald Trump	Super PAC	$0
Donald J Trump for President	Campaign	$5,735,514
Make America Great Again	Super PAC	$0

NOTE: All the numbers on this page are for the 2016 election cycle and based on Federal Election Commission data released electronically on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: info@crp.org

[ZULU]

The Wasington ComPost, composting AGAIN. Save your breath liars. Trump will be the GOP nominee and the next President. Hope he lives long enough for two full terms and picks a solid conservative for a running mte. It will take 16 years to correc the damage that a-hole Obama and the RINOs have done.

[nikos1121]

Trump, basically said he doesn’t communicate with these PACs. You either believe him or you write an article that implies that he’s lying. there people should be horse whipped.

[GilGil]

No kidding.

However we can be certain for sure that all the other superpacs for the other candidates are squeaky clean like angels.

Especially Clinton’s superpacs. They are the standard of law abiding.

Unbelievable. These pols really thing we are clueless.

[odawg]

“Legalese weasel wording from Tokyo Rove and his whiteboard commandos.”

We can change Rove’s moniker from “Turd Blossom” to “Turd Head”.

[SMM48]

In before Mikey

I'm honored!