A super PAC backing Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reported a haul of $10 million through June and said half of that money came from a single mega-donor with a history of supporting Republicans.
American Values 2024 reported raising $9.8 million through the end of June and another $6 million coming in July alone, giving the group a total haul of around $16 million since it launched in April, the same month Kennedy announced his presidential bid, POLITICO reported. Of the $9.8 million raised through June, $5 million came from American businessman and former Donald Trump supporter Timothy Mellon.
In a statement to CNBC on his contribution, Mellon, who gave $1.5 million to a group aligned with Trump last fall, said Kennedy is “the one candidate who can who can unite the country and root out corruption and the one Democrat who can win in the general election.”
Mellon has given $45 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, which is associated with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and $30 million to the Senate Senate Leadership Fund $53, which is aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Business Insider reported. The billionaire also gave $53 million to an effort by Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott to build a border wall.
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Kennedy, who is polling at 14% nationally in the Democratic primary per the Real Clear Politics average, has sought to appeal to a wide range of Democrats, Republicans, and independent voters who are tired of the Washington establishment. Another big donation to the super PAC backing Kennedy came from Gavin De Becker, a consultant who has been a close adviser to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. De Becker has donated to both Democrats and Republicans in the past and reported giving American Values 2024 $4.5 million.
Kennedy’s top donors include a mix of Democrats and Republicans and dozens of people who previously donated to committees associated with Trump and Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, according to POLITICO. The Democrat has gained favor among many Republicans for his criticisms of the war in Ukraine and the U.S. government pushing the COVID vaccines. Prominent liberals, such as hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, have also come out in support of Kennedy’s 2024 bid.
Nearly $5 million of Kennedy’s $6 million July haul came as he testified before the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on July 20. During his testimony, Kennedy told lawmakers that the federal government colluded with Big Tech corporations to censor his social media posts and shut down his account.