Forward: As Spending by Jewish PACs Soar, Two Billionaires Give GOP Group Major Fundraising Advantage
By Arno Rosenfeld, The Forward
Friday, October 31, 2024
Fueled by donations from two conservative billionaires, the leading Republican Jewish political action committee is pouring millions of dollars into a swing-state advertising blitz supporting former President Donald Trump in the final weeks of the campaign, according to the Federal Election Commission.
...The RJC raised more than $18 million since the start of last year, FEC records released last week show, including a $5 million donation from Miriam Adelson, widow of the casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, and $2.4 million from Jan Koum, the co-founder of WhatsApp.
...Matt Brooks, director of the RJC, said the group would spend 50% more during this campaign than it did in 2020. The Super PAC alone has more than doubled the $6.6 million it raised four years ago.
“This is the most consequential election in our lifetimes,” Brooks said in an interview. “We wanted to make sure that we had the full resources we needed.”
...The RJC has given nearly $2 million directly to Trump and an associated Super PAC, but most of its spending — more than $16 million — is going towards television ads in swing states including Pennsylvania, home to some 300,000 Jewish voters, and Arizona (85,000).
“Oy vey,” a character says in one spot that the RJC is running in five states for a total of more than $1 million, according to group. “You know, Trump I never cared for, but at least he’ll keep us safe.”
This article appeared on The Forward website on October 31, 2024.