Politics
2016 Fundraising Shows Power Tilting to Groups Backed by Wealthy Elite
Top, from left: Bush, Carson, Christie, Cruz, Fiorina, Graham, Huckabee. Bottom, from left: Jindal, Pataki, Paul, Perry, Rubio, Santorum, Trump. (AP/AP)
(The Washington Post) – A small cadre of super-wealthy Americans is dominating the fundraising for the 2016 Republican presidential nominating contest, doling out huge sums to independent groups that overwhelm total contributions to the candidates.
Nearly $4 out of every $5 raised so far on behalf of GOP White House contenders has gone to independent groups rather than the official campaigns.
Outside groups have already amassed more than $235 million — more than three times the $67 million raised collectively by the Republican field through June 30, according to reports filed Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission.
So far, the dynamic is different on the Democratic side, with 80 percent of the more than $80 million raised so far to support Hillary Rodham Clinton and her competitors flowing to their campaigns.
