Republican Convention Host Committee Brings in Massive $85 Million Fundraiser

Republican convention organizers have raised more than $85 million for the event in Milwaukee that will nominate Donald Trump for president next week.

The convention’s host committee said in a statement that its total represents “a record amount raised by any host committee for a Republican convention in history.” The committee’s internal goal was $68 million.

“The outpouring of support for this convention has been greater than I ever imagined,” said Reince Priebus, chair of the MKE 2024 Host Committee, in the same statement.

He credited local organizations in Wisconsin with playing an “integral role” in supporting fundraising efforts “because they know this convention is a great way to put Milwaukee on the map.”

The host committee is organized as a nonpartisan nonprofit — designed to pay for transportation, venues and other expenses associated with the event — which means it does not need to publicly disclose its donors.

Previous reports note that Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual and Forest County Potawatomi, which operates a hotel and casino, donated.

The Republican fundraising news follows Democrats’ announcement that their host committee is on track to raise between $80 million and $100 million for the four-day convention being held in Chicago next month.

But Democrats are starting to raise alarms about their own candidates’ fundraising. Campaign donations began to decline after President Joe Biden fumbled his debate with Trump and party donors began to express concerns more broadly about the viability of the presidential ticket.

On Wednesday, actor George Clooney, who has donated to Biden’s campaign, said he wants the president to step aside so another candidate can run at the top of the Democratic ticket.

But Republicans, after months of fundraising shortfalls against Democrats, are starting to see donor enthusiasm return. Even before the debate and despite Trump’s criminal conviction on bribery charges, Trump’s campaign was outpacing Biden in fundraising.

This story originally appeared on Politico.com read the full story