Schwarzman and Griffin Give Big to Senate Super-PAC
Schwarzman and Griffin Give Big to Super-PAC Spending in Georgia
(Bloomberg) -- Blackstone Group Inc. co-founder Stephen Schwarzman and Citadel founder Ken Griffin led the big donors pouring post-Election Day money into a super-PAC that supports Republican senators.
The Senate Leadership Fund, which has ties to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, raised $104.2 million between Oct. 15 and Nov. 23, according to its latest filing with Federal Election Commission, including $71.1 million donated after the Nov. 3 general election. Two runoff elections in Georgia that will determine control of the Senate are driving the donations.
If Democrats are able to unseat the two incumbent Republicans, they will take control of the upper chamber since Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be able to break any ties. With such high stakes, the races between Senator David Perdue and Jon Ossoff and Senator Kelly Loeffler and Raphael Warnock, have drawn a lot of attention and a corresponding flood of cash.
Schwarzman contributed $15 million on Nov. 12, the filing shows, while Griffin gave $10 million the same day. Other big donors to the super political action committee include investor Timothy Mellon and Wynn Resorts founder Steve Wynn, who each gave $5 million. Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus, TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts and real estate developer Geoffrey Palmer each gave $1 million.
The Senate Leadership Fund had $60.8 million in the bank at the close of the filing period. It’s booked $40.3 million of television and radio ad buys before the Jan. 5 runoffs, all in support of Perdue.
American Crossroads, a super-PAC launched by Republican strategist Karl Rove, is spending $44.2 million to back Loeffler.
Thanks largely to super-PACs like the Senate Leadership Fund, Republicans are outspending Democrats in the two Georgia runoff elections by $161.6 million to $118.3 million, according to AdImpact.
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