According to NTD TV, businessman Timothy Mellon gave more than $10 million to the American Values 2024 (AV2024) political action committee (PAC) between July and October 2023. That amount increased his total contribution up to about $15 million – more than half of the money the PAC took in during that year.
Mellon also gave $10 million to the Make America Great Again (MAGA) Inc. super-PAC between July and August 2023. Av2024 backs Kennedy’s presidential run, while MAGA Inc. backs the former president.
Donor records maintained by the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit OpenSecrets state that Mellon is a prominent Republican donor who has regularly made contributions to GOP groups such as the Congressional Leadership Fund and the Senate Leadership Fund. Ahead of the 2020 election, he contributed $20 million to the America First Action super-PAC opposing incumbent President Joe Biden.
In 2023, Mellon donated another $5 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund and gave $2 million to Fair Courts America – the latter a group opposing “progressive activists in the judiciary.”
Aside from Mellon, two others – Gavin de Becker and Leila Centner – were revealed to be major donors to RFK Jr.’s 2024 campaign. Back in October 2023, de Becker donated $5.5 million to AV2024, bringing his total 2023 contribution to the PAC to $10 million. Support from the major donor and head of the private security firm Gavin de Becker & Associates (GDBA) accounts for 35 percent of the AV2024’s annual fundraising.
Financial records also reveal that the Kennedy campaign paid more than $1.4 million to GDBA for security services in 2023. It has previously said that security is one of its significant expenses due to repeated incidents concerning RFK Jr.’s safety. The late President John F. Kennedy and former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy – the independent candidate’s uncle and father, respectively – were assassinated in the 1960s.
Kennedy giving Trump, Biden a run for their money
Centner, the final donor to RFK Jr.’s campaign, indicated that she is “not employed” in her FEC filing. However, the website of the Miami-based private school Centner Academy lists her as the CEO and co-founder.
Donor records from OpenSecrets also revealed that Centner is a major GOP donor and has given gifts of more than $100,000 to the Republican National Committee. Her largest contribution went to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ reelection campaign for the 2022 midterm elections. She has contributed to Trump’s campaign as well.
NTD TV‘s report about the three major Kennedy donors followed AV2024 and Team Kennedy – his principal campaign committee – reporting their 2023 fundraising activities to the FEC. Both PACs brought in about $50.4 million in 2024 and spent about $30.6 million, ending 2023 with $23 million cash on hand. (Related: RFK Jr. to name his running mate “fairly soon.”)
According to the FEC, a hybrid PAC such as AV2024 can solicit and accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labor unions and other PACs. However, it must maintain two bank accounts – one for independent spending on advertisements or voter drives, and another for making direct contributions to federal candidates.
In 2024, Kennedy hopes to put together the most significant third-party run in decades. His campaign is working to get the candidate on the ballot in all 50 states.
Head over to RFKJr.news for more stories about the independent presidential candidate.
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