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    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    25% of super PAC money coming from just 5 rich donors

    25% of super PAC money coming from just 5 rich donors

    By Fredreka Schouten, Gregory Korte, and Christopher SchnaarsUpdated 13m ago

    WASHINGTON – Five wealthy people, led by Dallas industrialist Harold Simmons and Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, have donated nearly $1 of every $4 flowing to the super PACs raising unlimited money in this year's presidential race, a USA TODAY analysis shows.

    Those donations have helped new Republican-leaning outside groups swamp Democratic-friendly super PACs in fundraising — money that is used largely for attack ads. The large sums also have rejuvenated the underfunded campaigns of principal challengers to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in the race for the GOP nomination.

    "Without the flow of super PAC money, the Republican race would be over," said Anthony Corrado, a campaign-finance expert at Colby College in Maine. "Super PACs have become a vehicle for a very small number of millionaires and billionaires who are willing to spend large sums in pursuit of their political agenda."

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    Simmons, a billionaire who helped bankroll Swift Boat ads in 2004 questioning Democrat John Kerry's Vietnam War record, is the largest super PAC donor of the 2012 election, the analysis shows.

    He and his holding company, Contran, gave more than $12 million to American Crossroads, a super PAC affiliated with GOP strategist Karl Rove. He donated another $2.2 million to three super PACs supporting GOP presidential candidates. He did not respond to interview requests.

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    In the No. 2 slot: Adelson and wife Miriam, who gave $10 million to Winning Our Future, a super PAC aiding former House speaker Newt Gingrich.

    Adelson declined USA TODAY's interview request. However, in a Forbes magazine interview out Tuesday, Adelson said he is willing to donate another "$10 million or $100 million" to aid Gingrich.

    "I'm against very wealthy people attempting to or influencing elections," he said. "But as along as it's doable, I'm going to do it."

    Adelson, who operates The Venetian, a massive Las Vegas resort, along with casinos in Singapore and Macau, shares hawkish stands on Israel with Gingrich. But he said he's motivated by economic policy and likely will support GOP's eventual nominee to defeat President Obama and what he terned a "socialist-style economy."

    Other mega-donors to super PACs include:

    •Peter Thiel, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist and co-founder of PayPal, who donated $2.6 million to Endorse Liberty, a super PAC helping GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul. Thiel, an avowed libertarian, was the first outside investor in Facebook. He did not respond to an interview request.

    •Houston home builder Bob Perry, who has contributed more than $11 million to federal campaigns since 1997. He has donated $3.6 million to super PACs since Jan. 1, 2011.

    He has supported Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the past, and contributed to state PACs backing former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty for president. But with $1 million in contributions last year to a super PAC supporting Romney, Perry has made clear who his candidate is.

    Anthony Holm, a spokesman for Bob Perry, declined to talk about the strategy behind the contributions beyond this statement: "Bob Perry believed Mitt Romney is the right person to create jobs in America, which stands in stark contrast to our current president."

    25% of super PAC money coming from just 5 rich donors
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  2. #2
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    NO AMNESTY

    Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.


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