Republicans Nearly Triple Democrats in July National Committee Fundraising

US President Donald Trump speaks after his introduction by RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McD
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

The Republican National Committee (RNC) raised nearly triple what the debt-laden Democratic National Committee (DNC) raised in July, perhaps a harbinger of 2020.

Last month, according to documents filed this week with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the RNC raised $20.8 million and has no debt, for a cycle-to-date total of $117.9 million in fundraising for the GOP so far.

In contrast, DNC documents filed with the FEC show the Democrats pulled in just $7.7 million–a little more than a third of the RNC totals–in July. The DNC also has $5.6 million in debts and has only pulled in $51.6 million cycle-to-date–significantly less than Republicans.

An RNC spokesperson said in an email that this was the best July in an off-year in GOP history.

“In July, the RNC continued to see record enthusiasm for President Trump’s agenda and chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is leading the charge: Since 2018, major donors have increased from 33% to roughly 45% of total fundraising. This past month was our best off-cycle July in party history,” the RNC spokesman said.

The DNC’s fundraising picture is so bad, in fact, that the Democrats are now turning to two controversial places for fundraising help: failed 2016 Democrat presidential nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and American expatriates in Mexico.

On Tuesday, Politico Playbook reported that Clinton is “hosting a big-dollar fundraiser for the DNC at her D.C. mansion (just around the corner from VP Mike Pence’s house). The Oct. 16 event is billed as ‘Dinner and conversation at the home of Hillary Rodham Clinton.’ Tickets are available at $15,000, $35,000 and $50,000 levels.”

Also on Tuesday of this week, Bloomberg reported that DNC chairman Tom Perez is headed to Mexico to fundraise for the party.

“Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez plans to hold party fundraising events with the American expatriate community in Mexico City next month,” Bloomberg’s Sahil Kapur and Eric Martin wrote. “Perez will participate in three events in the Mexican capital on Sept. 28, according to invitations obtained by Bloomberg News. The events range from happy hour drinks with a $25 minimum student entry to a dinner where tickets range from $1,000 to $15,000.”

Fundraising in a foreign country is a remarkable step for the leader of the Democrat Party, given that federal law does not allow foreigners to contribute to American political campaigns, but the party’s dire financial situation requires the DNC chair to head south of the border to seek to squeeze out any cash he can get from there.

“The registration form on the DNC website require [sic] that attendees be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and enter passport or green card numbers,” Kapur and Martin continued. “It is illegal for foreigners to contribute to American political campaigns.”

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