The Republican National Committee’s 2009 fundraising haul might be thanks in part to a deal with the Michigan state party, a former GOP official told the Daily Caller.
The Caller reported today that the RNC “struck a deal with the Michigan Republican Party” to allow the state party to raise money outside of the donor limits most states have.
The RNC would then give the money back to the party in what the Caller described as a “scheme” to boost the fundraising totals of more than $90 million in 2009.
It’s another thorn in the RNC’s side as Chairman Michael Steele tries to reassure rank-and-file members the party’s money is being well-spent.
From the Caller’s story:
“It was a known secret that a deal had been struck on the topic,” a former RNC official confirmed to The Daily Caller.
“I think the benefit to them was them getting guaranteed money,” the source said of the Michigan GOP, “and the benefit to the RNC was getting higher fundraising numbers.”
RNC spokesman Doug Heye, contacted by a reporter Tuesday afternoon, did not comment.
The allegations appear to be backed up by FEC reports: Fifteen donors from Michigan maxed out their donations to the committee on a single day –Dec. 31 — the last day of 2009 — giving $456,000 to the committee. Over the next two months, $500,000 was disbursed back from the RNC’s coffers to those of the Michigan Republican Party, with $250,000 given in January and another $250,000 disbursed in February.
…
No state came close to reaching the half a million dollars disbursed back to the Michigan GOP over the following two months. Michigan received by far the most disbursed money of all states over January and February, followed by Delaware, $129,800 (including in-kind equipment); Oregon, $75,000; Colorado, $66,500; Massachusetts, $42,000; and Mississippi, $15,000.
Out of the 28 donors across the country who in December contributed to the RNC $30,400 — or the maximum amount that can be contributed to the committee under law — all but five had Michigan addresses.
Read the Caller’s piece in full here.
