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July 9, 2020
This week in money-in-politics

Trump floods airwaves with campaign ads as Biden lays low


President Donald Trump’s 2020 television and digital media advertisements show a candidate on the offensive, making an aggressive push to get in front of viewers with swipes at his political opposition. The president has massively outspent presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in TV ads, and by a shrinking margin online.

Between May 11 and June 28, nearly 85,000 TV ads costing a combined $51 million were broadcast across America in the 2020 presidential race. Over 50,000 were purchased by Trump’s campaign, and another 11,600 by outside groups that support him — a major increase since the beginning of 2019. That’s according to a new analysis from the Wesleyan Media Project in partnership with OpenSecrets.
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** Trump, conservative groups split over GOP Senate candidates in Alabama
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The Alabama Republican primary for U.S. Senate sounds like the start of a political satire to some. A longtime politician takes on a popular football coach for a seat in the world’s greatest deliberative body. But instead of starring on the big screen, Jeff Sessions and Tommy Tuberville are appearing in diners, public squares and video calls to challenge Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) for his seat. Jones, a former civil rights lawyer, narrowly won a 2017 special election against Roy Moore.
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** House Democrats expanding fundraising lead over Republican challengers
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Four months before Election Day, House Democrats are building on their immense fundraising lead over Republican challengers. House candidates have raised nearly $457 million compared to Republicans’ $365 million. That fundraising difference is even larger in swing districts currently held by well-funded Democratic incumbents. In 13 races holding primaries in June and July that are considered competitive by the Cook Political Report, incumbent Democrats have 9 times more money in the bank.
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** Conservative and agricultural interests clash in runoff with Trump’s former doctor
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In Texas’ 13th district Republican primary runoff, Josh Winegarner and Ronny Jackson are engaged in a big-spending contest, pitting President Donald Trump’s endorsement against a candidate backed by agricultural interests. Winegarner, a former lobbyist for the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, is running with establishment support from within the state. He has endorsements from a slew of current and former Texas public officials, including the district’s retiring incumbent.
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Company that gave six figures to pro-Trump super PAC got PPP loan worth at least $5 million


An energy drink company that donated six figures in corporate money to President Donald Trump’s preferred super PAC got an emergency small business loan worth between $5 million and $10 million, according to government data released this week.

Vital Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Bang Energy, gave $250,000 last year to America First Action, the only super PAC with the president’s official endorsement. The company’s CEO, Jack Owoc, is an ardent Trump supporter who has been pictured socializing with members of Trump’s family.

There is no evidence that the small business loan program — authorized by Congress to weather the economic storm of the COVID-19 pandemic — prioritized Trump’s political donors. But Vital Pharmaceuticals is a rare example of a well-known company backing Trump’s reelection by donating corporate funds, and the forgivable loan could help the energy drink giant offset that political spending.
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At 2:00 PM on Friday, July 10, join CRP expert researcher Anna Massoglia for a presentation about one of the hottest topics in campaign finance: dark money.
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OpenSecrets in the News

See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:

* ** With a Senate majority in reach, Democratic candidates rake in massive donations (The Los Angeles Times) ([link removed])
A group of Democratic challengers to incumbent Republican U.S. senators has once again posted massive fundraising numbers, raising the party’s hopes of reclaiming the Senate from the GOP in the November election.

* ** Rep. Jared Golden Wants To Shed Some Light On Dark Election Money (Maine Public) ([link removed])
Rep. Golden (D-Maine) is sponsoring a bill called the Crack Down on Dark Money Act, which limits political activity by 501(c)(4) nonprofits to 10 percent of their annual expenditures, or they would file as a different organization that files quarterly donor reports.

* ** The 5 wealthiest members of Congress - and how they made their fortune (Fox Business) ([link removed])
More than half of those in Congress are millionaires. Still, the wealth is largely concentrated at the top; for instance, the top 10 percent of the wealthiest lawmakers have more money than the bottom 90 percent.

** The New York Times ([link removed])

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