Republican mega donor Adelson to back major pro-Trump spending group

Republican mega donor Adelson to back major pro-Trump spending group

By Alexandra Ulmer

Casino billionaire and Republican mega donor Miriam Adelson will be the lead financier of a spending group backing U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, in what could be a major financial boost in his rematch against Democratic President Joe Biden.

The Preserve America super PAC, which Adelson and her late husband Sheldon Adelson donated to in the 2020 election cycle, has been revived, and Adelson will be a "lead donor" this time around too, said Dave Carney, a Republican strategist who will run the group.

"Our goal is to raise more than we did last time, which was about $100 million," he told Reuters on Thursday. He declined to specify how much Adelson would donate to the effort.

News of Adelson's involvement was first reported by Politico. A spokesperson for Adelson did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for information on her donation plans.

Adelson, an Israeli-born physician whose family Forbes estimates has a net worth of around $29.5 billion, is one of the biggest donor prizes for a Republican candidate. She chose to sit out the Republican primary but now appears committed to helping Trump regain the White House in the November election.

After starting out with a significant fundraising disadvantage against Biden, Trump for the first time in April outraised his Democratic rival, aided by a flurry of major fundraising events across the country.

Adelson and her late husband gave the most - over $218 million - to Republican and conservative causes in the 2020 U.S. election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks political spending.