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How To Donate To Trumps Campaign

Trump Was Just The Beginning

WATCH: Trumps ‘big lie’ enabled big ripoff of campaign donors, Lofgren says

All told, the Trump and party operation raised $1.2 billion on WinRed, and refunded roughly 10 percent of it.

Whatever blowback it received, WinRed was not deterred. Soon after the November election ended, the two Republican Senate incumbents in Georgia, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, deployed prechecked weekly recurring boxes in advance of their January runoffs.

Predictably, refund rates spiked.

Keith Millhouse, a transportation consultant in California, intended to donate once to Mr. Perdue, with the aim of keeping Republicans in control of the Senate. He wound up a recurring contributor and called the practice repugnant and deceptive.

Im busy like a lot of other people during this Covid era and I just wanted to get in, make a donation, get done and move on to what I needed to do next, he said. I thought I had done that. Then I find out that, you know, Im getting these other charges.

He canceled the repeating charge when he saw the reminder email. But by then WinRed had already processed his second $100 bonus contribution. He figured it was not worth the hassle to protest. Dont try to sucker it out of me, he said.

Now WinRed is exporting the tools it pioneered during the Trump re-election bid across the Republican Party, presaging a new normal for G.O.P. campaigns.

Rachel Shorey contributed reporting and Kitty Bennett contributed research.

How Refunds To Trump Donors Soared In 2020

Refunds are shown as the percentage of money received by each operation to date via WinRed and ActBlue.

Trump

Around March 2020, the pre-filled check box first appeared on Mr. Trumps online donation form.

Total online refunds in 2020, in millions

$122

Around March 2020, the pre-filled check box first appeared on Mr. Trumps online donation form.

Total online refunds in 2020, in millions

$122

Total online refunds in 2020, in millions

$122

Total online refunds in 2020,

in millions

Biden

Note: Donations and refunds to former President Donald J. Trump include those made via WinRed for the following organizations: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., Trump Victory, Trump Make America Great Again Committee, Save America, and the Republican National Committee. Donations and refunds to President Biden include those made via ActBlue for the following groups: Biden for President, Biden Victory Fund, Biden Action Fund, Biden Fight Fund, and the Democratic National Committee.

Several bank representatives who fielded fraud claims directly from consumers estimated that WinRed cases, at their peak, represented as much as 1 to 3 percent of their workload. An executive for one of the nations larger credit-card issuers confirmed that WinRed at its height accounted for a similar percentage of its formal disputes.

How Trump Steered Supporters Into Unwitting Donations

Online donors were guided into weekly recurring contributions. Demands for refunds spiked. Complaints to banks and credit card companies soared. But the money helped keep Donald Trumps struggling campaign afloat.

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By Shane Goldmacher

Stacy Blatt was in hospice care last September listening to Rush Limbaughs dire warnings about how badly Donald J. Trumps campaign needed money when he went online and chipped in everything he could: $500.

It was a big sum for a 63-year-old battling cancer and living in Kansas City on less than $1,000 per month. But that single contribution federal records show it was his first ever quickly multiplied. Another $500 was withdrawn the next day, then $500 the next week and every week through mid-October, without his knowledge until Mr. Blatts bank account had been depleted and frozen. When his utility and rent payments bounced, he called his brother, Russell, for help.

What the Blatts soon discovered was $3,000 in withdrawals by the Trump campaign in less than 30 days. They called their bank and said they thought they were victims of fraud.

It felt, Russell said, like it was a scam.

Contributors had to wade through a fine-print disclaimer and manually uncheck a box to opt out.

It should be in textbooks of what you shouldnt do, he said.

Recommended Reading: How Can I Call Donald Trump

The Big Democrat Donors To Watch

In addition to Eychaners big splash with House Majority PAC, Democratic megadonor George Soros political committees gave $2.5 million to SMP and $2 million to the super PAC arm of American Bridge, the political communications and research operation that is part of operative David Brocks sprawling network.

Soros also personally gave $500,000 to the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund, a fundraising arm of the DNC and a group of state parties.

Another major Democratic donor in February was Deborah J. Simon, the heir to a shopping mall empire. Simon gave $1 million to Bridges super PAC, and she also sent $875,000 to the DGVF. Simon was one of the largest hard-money donors of the 2020 cycle.

Simon joined the board of EMILYs List, the powerful liberal group that supports Democratic pro-choice women, in 2021.

Kyle Cheney contributed to this report.

With The 2016 Presidential Election Upon Us Take A Look At Which Sports Figures Support The Candidates

See How President Donald Trump Segments His Ads with Post

The public often wants athletes and coaches to stay out of politics. But many sports figures are Americans, too, and in this highly contentious campaign, theyre weighing in with endorsements and donations for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.

While Trump has received some money and many endorsements from high-profile sports figures, Clinton dominated the number of donations from people in sports, according to a CBS Sports analysis of data at opensecrets.org. In that sense, sports reflects society. As of Aug. 31, Clinton had raised a total of $530 million compared to $210 million by Trump.

Some NFL locker rooms are so divided over the election that at least one coach insisted there be no more player discussions about Trump while on team property, according to Bleacher Report. Meanwhile, NFL owners, who traditionally lean Republican, are virtually nowhere to be found on Trumps donation lists.

Four years ago, I found 11 professional sports owners who donated money to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Only one of those same 11 also has given to Trump in 2016: Houston Texans owner and Republican super donor Bob McNair .

The vast majority of McNairs massive figure was two donations to two joint fundraising committees that sent the proceeds to Trumps campaign, according to citizensforethics.org. McNair has donated $5.9 million to various candidates and entities in the 2016 election cycle.

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Trump Took Millions In Campaign Donations And Gave Them To His Businesses

Donald Trumps reelection campaign, which never received a cent from the former president, moved an estimated $2.8 million of donor money into the Trump Organizationincluding at least $81,000 since Trump lost the election.

In addition, one of the campaigns joint-fundraising committees, which collects money in partnership with the Republican Party, shifted about $4.3 million of donor money into Trumps business from January 20, 2017, to December 31, 2020at least $331,000 of which came after the election.

The money covered the cost of rent, airfare, lodging and other expenses.

Trumps actions demonstrate that for him the presidency was always a for-profit venture. Donald Trump has zero interest in the job of being president. He spent much of his energy during his time in office trying to figure out ways to get taxpayer money into his businesses.

The difference between the nation having a grifter and a commander in chief has been on display in the few weeks that Joe Bidenhas been in office. By the end of February, Joe Biden will have legislatively achieved more help for the American people than Donald Trump did in four years.

A Small Yellow Box And A Flood Of Fraud Complaints

The small and bright yellow box popped up on Mr. Trumps digital donation portal around . The text was boldface, simple and straightforward: Make this a monthly recurring donation.

The box came prefilled with a check mark.

Even that was more aggressive than what the Biden campaign would do in 2020. Biden officials said they rarely used prechecked boxes to automatically have donations recur monthly or weekly the exception was on landing pages where advertisements and emails had explicitly asked supporters to become repeat donors.

But for Mr. Trump, the prechecked monthly box was just the beginning.

Ronna McDaniel, the R.N.C. chairwoman, crowed to Fox News about the achievement without mentioning how exactly the party had pulled it off. Republicans are thinking smarter digitally, she said, and were poised to outwork, outdo, and outmaneuver the Democrats at every turn.

The two prechecked yellow boxes would be a fixture for the rest of the campaign. And so would a much larger volume of refunds.

Until then, the Biden and Trump operations had nearly identical refund rates on WinRed and ActBlue in 2020: 2.18 percent for Mr. Trump and 2.17 percent for Mr. Biden.

But from the day after Mr. Trumps birthday through the rest of the year, Mr. Bidens refund rate remained nearly flat, at 2.24 percent, while Mr. Trumps soared to 12.29 percent.

Even political professionals fell prey to the boxes.

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Trump Uses Fbi Search Of His Mar

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WASHINGTON, Aug 9 – Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday tried to turn the news that the FBI had searched his Florida estate to his benefit, citing the investigation in text messages and emails soliciting political donations from his supporters.

The unprecedented search marked a significant escalation of the federal investigation into whether Trump illegally removed records from the White House as he was leaving office in January 2021. Trump continues to flirt publicly with running again for president in 2024 but has not said clearly whether he will do so.

The warrant was related to the National Archives and Records Administration, which is charged with safeguarding presidential records that belong to the public, and whether there were classified documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, according to a person familiar with the matter.

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The person said the FBI took about 10 boxes of papers, but that a safe that was searched was empty.

Trump tried to paint the search as a politically motivated move by President Joe Biden’s administration at a time when the former president is playing a key role in Republican primaries ahead of the November midterm elections that will determine control of the U.S. Congress.

Should You Use Credit Debit Or A Check To Make A Political Donation

How The Trump Campaign Steered Supporters Into Recurring Donations | NBC News NOW

Security should be a big factor when you’re trying to decide what payment method you should use to make a donation. Credit cards are better than using debit cards because they offer more protections against things like identity theft and fraud. Most important is that you can regularly review your credit card statements, and you can refute charges within your grace period to avoid having to pay for fraudulent expenses.

E-checks are another popular payment option that can be an alternative to paying credit card processing fees. But e-checks require your routing number and account number, which could leave you more exposed.

“I would recommend against using e-checksexcept when using a donation platform with which you are very familiar,” Zucker says.

And then there’s the old-school option of mailing a check, which isn’t as convenient as just typing in your credit card information online, but it eases any tension that your credit information could be hacked. And when it comes to processing fees, Zucker says that checks are still costly in a way, considering human staff time, but donors themselves won’t have to cover the cost.

When it comes to your personal information, know that the Federal Election Commission makes public any donors who give more than $200 during the election cycle.

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This Is The Third Installment Of A Four

Donald Trump never donated to his own reelection campaign, but he did find plenty of other billionaires willing to write him checks. In total, Forbes identified 133 superrich donors who pitched in for Trumps 2020 campaign.

Trumps tycoons, who collectively make up about 14% of all American billionaires, tend to fall into a few specific categories. Several were longtime Republican mega-donors, like gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson, who died in January, and his wife, Miriam. Others knew Trump from their days in business, including Texas banker Andy Beal and casino king Phil Ruffin. About one quarter of them made their money in finance and investments, more than any other industry. About 10% got rich in real estate, while roughly the same number earned a fortune from the energy sector. Most of them came from three states: New York , Texas and Florida .

Forbes Found 133 Billionaires Or Spouses Of Billionaires Who Donated To Trumps Campaign Ahead Of The 2020 Election They Built Their Fortunes In 17 Industries

Some clearly benefited from having a friend in the White House. Miriam Adelson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Kelcy Warren, chief executive of Energy Transfer Partners, got clearance for his Dakota Access Pipeline, as well as a seat on the board of trustees at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Harold Hamm, the oil baron, became an informal advisor. Linda McMahon, who is married to WWE Chief Executive Vince McMahon, accepted a role as head of the Small Business Administration, before moving on to chair a pro-Trump super-PAC named America First Action.

On average, the donors contributed about $285,000 to the Trump campaign and its joint-fundraising committees, which split their hauls with the Republican Party. About 9% of Trumps billionaire donors, however, gave less than $5,000. At least 19 also donated to pro-Trump super-PACs. Unlike other types of political committees, super-PACs can accept unlimited amounts of money. The Adelsons, for instance, gave $90 million to a pro-Trump super-PAC called Preserve America. Marvel Entertainment billionaire Isaac Perlmutter and his wife, Laura, gave $21 million to America First. Kelcy Warren donated $10 million to the same group.

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The Club For Growth Cements Its Power

The Club for Growth continues to expand its influence as one of the power bases of the Republican Party. The Clubs super PAC arm brought in $6.6 million and has $26.7 million in the bank.

Its largest benefactor continues to be Jeff Yass, who has emerged as one of the most powerful Republican donors in recent years. He personally gave $3 million to the Club, and Kentucky Freedom PAC a super PAC that supports Sen. Rand Paul , and which Yass has funded gave an additional $2 million.

Shipping magistrate Richard Uihlein kicked in an additional $1 million.

The Club has been active in Republican primaries this year, and it has been the largest outside spender of the cycle so far, according to OpenSecrets.

The group which after opposing Trump during the 2016 primaries has closely aligned itself with him ever since has spent heavily backing Rep. Ted Budds Senate bid, as well as Rep. Mo Brooks struggling campaign for Senate.

Kentucky Freedom also gave $750,000 to Protect Freedom PAC, another Paul-aligned group. Protect Freedom recently spent $100,000 on digital ads supporting Harriet Hageman, who is primarying arch-Trump foe Rep. Liz Cheney .

The Latest List Of Pacs And Individuals Who Have Donated To Them

Missing from Trumps list of charitable giving: His own personal cash ...

Donald Trump announced his reelection bid as soon as he took office four years ago and raised more than $1 billion in the 2020 cycle, according to OpenSecrets. This amount includes donations to his official campaign committee and outside groups such as single-candidate super PACs and hybrid PACs or Carey committees.

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Dem Super Pacs Well Stocked As They Fight To Keep Congress

The major Democratic super PACs focused on the House and the Senate continued to rake in money at a healthy clip, even though Democrats are facing a tough political environment.

House Majority PAC brought in $6.6 million, including $5 million from prominent Democratic donor Fred Eychaner. That raised the super PACs cash on hand total to $45.8 million. Senate Majority PAC raised $5.7 million, bringing its cash reserves total to $36.6 million.

Democrats official party committees also had big months, with each buoyed by $5 million transfers from the DNC. Senate Democrats campaign arm raised $15 million and has $37.9 million in the bank, while the House Democrats committee raised $19.3 million and had $99.2 million in reserve.

Senate Republicans campaign arm raised $11.7 million and has $41.6 million in its account, slightly ahead of its Democratic counterpart, while House Republicans raised $10 million and had $85 million banked.

Democrats Republicans Evenly Split Going Into Midterm Elections: Poll

Well, that didnt take long.

Former President Donald Trump pleaded with his supporters Tuesday to donate to a potential 2024 reelection bid using Mondays FBI raid at his Mar-a-Lago resort to urge every single red-blooded American Patriot to step up during this time.

A headline on an email sent out by Trumps Save America political action committee announced: Breaking: The FBI Raided President Trumps Home: Mar-a-Lago in all caps.

These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, was raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents, the email began, using the same language Trump used to confirm the raid on his Truth Social platform.

Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before, and its important that you know that it wasnt just my home that was violated it was the home of every patriotic American who I have been fighting for since that iconic moment I came down the Golden Escalators in 2015, the email continued as it appealed for contributions.

The message went on to say that Trump stood up to the Radical Lefts corruption, but claimed his opponents are still trying to thwart him following his administrations successes.

As they watch my endorsed candidates win big victories and see my dominance in all polls, they are trying to stop the Republican Party and me once more. The lawlessness, political persecution, and Witch Hunt, must be exposed and stopped, it reads.

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