Missouri‘s most prolific political donor poured another $1 million into his preferred gubernatorial candidate’s campaign last week, bringing the total he spent during the 2024 election cycle to nearly $3 million.
Retired investor Rex Sinquefield has given more than $45 million in contributions since he became a major donor around 2006, primarily but not exclusively to Republicans.
His donations last week included $1 million to the American Dream PAC, which supports Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe’s gubernatorial campaign, and $250,000 to the Liberty and Justice PAC, which supports Attorney General Andrew Bailey.
Sinquefield has donated about a third of all money received by American Dream PAC since the beginning of 2023.
American Dream PAC, which can raise money alongside Kehoe but must spend it independently of his official campaign, is already the richest in the gubernatorial race. It reported $4.5 million available on March 31, more than double the amount of the PAC supporting Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and four times the funds available to BILL PAC, which supports state Sen. Bill Eigel.
Sinquefield’s checks, one for $250,000 and another for $750,000, were reported Thursday to the Missouri Ethics Commission. Other major donors have contributed $182,674 to Kehoe’s PAC since the last full report was filed.
The commission requires contributions of more than $5,000 to be reported within 48 hours of receipt.
Ashcroft spokesman Jason Roe said Kehoe “has been funded by Jefferson City lobbyists and special interest groups because they know what they are going to get: a big, transactional government governor. He has the backing of almost every special interest group in the state because they know he will raise taxes, they know he will increase spending, and they know they will be the beneficiaries.”
Ashcroft’s PAC, Committee for Freedom, has raised $155,661 in large donations since March 31. The largest, $50,000, came from her mother, former first lady Janet Ashcroft. With those reports, she has reported raising just under $1 million since the beginning of 2023.
The committee reported $1.9 million available as of March 31.
Sophia Shore, Eigel’s campaign manager, said Kehoe “is undoubtedly the choice of establishment donors; “He has enough money to burn a wet mule.”
Eigel’s joint fundraising committee, BILL PAC, has received only one donation over $5,000 since March 31: $10,000 from Joan Langenberg of St. Louis on May 6. The PAC has raised $2 million since January 1, 2023.
Sinquefield has a long history of writing massive checks to his preferred candidates. She has often focused her efforts on cutting income taxes and making changes to the state’s education system.
In 2016, he funded a slate of candidates in state GOP primaries, spending nearly $11 million supporting candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and treasurer.
Of the candidates he supported, only one prevailed.
In September 2020, Sinquefield parted ways with his longtime advisors, Pelopidas, owned by Travis Brown. He made no political contributions until late 2021, and since early 2022 he has made donations of $4.3 million, including $1.7 million reported since Jan. 1.
Pelopidas closed its doors after Sinquefield withdrew its support. In 2021, a Missouri appeals court ordered Brown and the firm to pay $7.5 million to Rachel Keller, Brown’s ex-wife and business partner, in a case filed in 2016, two years after the couple divorced. .
Both Eigel and Ashcroft have received donations from Sinquefield, but not since he fired Pelopidas as his consulting firm.
There were no limits on direct contributions to candidate committees in 2014. Those limits were imposed by a constitutional amendment, and for this year’s election, the limit for statewide candidates is $2,825.
BILL PAC received $225,000 from Sinquefield in 2019 and 2020, when Eigel sought reelection to the state Senate.
This story initially appeared on missouriindependent.com.
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