A roster of some of the wealthiest and most influential Republican donors are lining up to support President Donald Trump’s reelection bid.
If all of the listed invitees make the requested donation, a fund supporting President Trump’s run for the presidency and other Republican Party causes will raise about $30.6 million at the so-called Inaugural Leadership Dinner.
On March 22, The Epoch Times obtained a copy of a Trump 47 Committee fundraiser invitation that listed almost 40 wealthy donors as either the hosts or the co-chairs of the event, to be hosted at an undisclosed location in Palm Beach, Florida, on April 6.
Representatives of the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.
The invitation said President Trump will be in attendance, along with Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, all of whom were candidates in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
- Carol Adams
- Robert Bigelow
- Richard “Duke” Buchan and his wife, Hannah Buchan
- John Catsimatidis
- José “Pepe” Fanjul and his wife, Emilia Fanjul
- Scott Bessent and John Freeman
- Ken Garschina
- Harold Hamm
- Mike Hodges and his wife, Tina Hodges
- Robert “Woody” Johnson and his wife, Suzanne Johnson
- Howard Lutnick
- Omeed Malik and his wife, Caroline Malik
- Jamie McCourt
- Linda McMahon
- Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah Mercer
- Roger Norman and his wife, Elise Norman
- Joe Popolo
- Todd Ricketts
- Wilbur Ross and his wife, Hilary Ross
- Phil Ruffin and his wife, Oleksandra Ruffin
- Betsy Sheehy
- Jeff Sprecher and his wife, Kelly Loeffler
- Kenny Troutt and his wife, Lisa Troutt
- Steve Witkoff
- Steve Wynn
Mega Donors
Robert Bigelow, the founder, president, and program manager of Las Vegas-based Bigelow Aerospace, sent a $5 million check to MAGA Inc. in February. He was previously a key sponsor of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s run for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination. He sent $20 million to a PAC backing Mr. DeSantis in 2023.
Robert Mercer, former co-leader of hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, was ranked as the ninth-largest spender on the 2016 election cycle, according to OpenSecrets. He spent more than $22.5 million on that election. Mr. Mercer, according to OpenSecrets records, has gone relatively quiet in political spending since that election.
Phil Ruffin, owner of Las Vegas’s Treasure Island and Circus Circus, donated $2 million to MAGA Inc. in 2023, according to OpenSecrets donor records. Mr. Ruffin is a consistent donor to the Republican National Committee, too.
Kenny Troutt, who’s listed in FEC records as an executive at Mt. Vernon Investments of Dallas, is an essential sponsor of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. He’s given Mr. Abbott more than $4 million throughout his giving career, according to OpenSecrets records. Mr. Troutt also previously provided $250,000 to a fund linked to President Trump.
Steve Wynn, the RNC’s finance chair from 2017 to 2018, is the founder of Wynn Resorts Ltd. and was recently listed as an entrepreneur with Valmore Management LLC. Mr. Wynn is a longtime supporter of the Republican Party and related causes.
Mr. Wynn’s largest recent gift, of $10 million, went to Our American Century, a super PAC that supported Republican candidates for federal office in the 2021 and 2022 election cycles.
Former Trump Administration Officials
A number of the donors listed on the invitation were either members of the Trump administration or served in Congress while President Trump was in office.Richard Buchan was the U.S. ambassador to Spain and Andorra from January 2018 to January 2021. Robert Johnson was the U.S. ambassador to the UK from November 2017 to January 2021. Jamie McCourt was the U.S. ambassador to France and Monaco from December 2017 to January 2021.
Linda McMahon was the administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration from February 2017 to April 2019. Wilbur Ross was the U.S. commerce secretary from February 2017 to January 2021.
According to donor records maintained by watchdog organization OpenSecrets, Mr. Buchan and his wife are regular donors to the RNC.
Mr. Johnson is an heir to the Johnson & Johnson family fortune and a co-owner of the National Football League’s New York Jets. According to OpenSecrets donor records, he is a consistent donor to the RNC and has donated to President Trump before.
Both Mr. Buchan—the current finance chair for the RNC—and Mr. Johnson made donations to the RNC while employed as ambassadors, according to OpenSecrets donor records.
Other Donors
Carol Adams, who’s been listed as the owner of Texas Star Energy on FEC filings, has donated more than $600,000 to various PACs associated with President Trump. She sent $200,000 to Maga Inc. in 2023.John Catsimatidis, chairman and CEO of United Refining Co., is a notable Republican donor who’s also supported Democrats on occasion, according to OpenSecrets donor records. Mr. Catsimatidis’s biggest political expenditures came in 2013, when he spent millions on a run for the mayorship of New York as a Republican.
Jose Fanjul, a leader of the sugar refining company Florida Crystals Corp., is a regular donor to Republican Party causes and the RNC. He gave $250,000 to MAGA Inc. in 2021, according to OpenSecrets donor records.
Scott Bessent, CEO of Key Square Capital Management, often donates to Republican Party causes and the RNC. He sent more than $350,000 to the RNC in 2023, according to OpenSecrets donor records. In 2016, he sent about $350,000 to a PAC supporting former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, in his run for the GOP’s presidential nomination.
Ken Garschina, principal at Mason Capital LLC, is a Republican donor who’s given to President Trump in the past, according to Open Secrets donor records.
Harold Hamm, chairman and CEO of Continental Resources Inc., is a notable donor to the Republican Party and its candidates. According to OpenSecrets records, Mr. Hamm sent $500,000 to America First Action in 2018.
Mike Hodges, chairman of Advance Financial, was a large donor to President Trump’s successful 2016 bid for the White House and has supported him consistently since. He’s also made sizable donations to the RNC and associated PACs. According to OpenSecrets records, Mr. Hodges sent MAGA Inc. $150,000 in 2023.
Omeed Malik, CEO of Farvahar Partners, has donated to both Democratic and Republican party candidates, according to OpenSecrets records. Mr. Malik was a notable supporter of Mr. DeSantis’s reelection effort in Florida in 2022.
Roger Norman, a real estate investor based in Reno, Nevada, gave more than $300,000 to the RNC in 2019 and 2020, according to OpenSecrets records. Mr. Norman has supported President Trump in the past.
John Paulson, along with social media influencer Alina de Almeida, is billed as a host of the Trump 47 committee. Head of the hedge fund Paulson & Co. Inc., he’s given gifts of more than $100,000 to the RNC and Republican causes, according to OpenSecrets donor records.
Joe Popolo, CEO of Charles & Potomac Capital, is a Republican donor, but he doesn’t often give more than $30,000. According to OpenSecrets records, Mr. Popolo gave the Congressional Leadership Fund $100,000 in 2022.
Todd Ricketts, chair of the RNC’s finance committee from 2018 to 2022, is the son of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts. Mr. Ricketts is a co-owner of Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs and a member of TD Ameritrade’s board. His brother is Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.).
Betsy Sheehy, listed as retired by the FEC, gave $200,000 to Make America Great Again Inc. in 2023, according to OpenSecrets donor records.
Steve Witkoff is the chairman and CEO of New York-based real estate firm Witkoff. OpenSecrets records show that he is not an important political donor. However, he’s given to both President Trump and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the past.
Trump Officials Rebuff AP Story
The April 6 fundraiser made headlines when an Associated Press report published on March 21 said the nonqualified joint fundraising committee Trump 47 Committee “directs donations to [President Trump’s] campaign and a political action committee that pays the former president’s legal bills before the RNC gets a cut.”The news organization used the headline “Trump’s invite to major donors prioritizes the committee paying his legal bills over the RNC.”
On social media platform X, Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to President Trump and the RNC’s chief operating officer, shared commentary from other reporters at the Bulwark and NBC News who said Trump 47’s fundraising agreement would divide the money raised among 43 different Republican accounts.
The chairs are expected to donate $814,600. About $800,000 of that donation will go to the RNC. The hosts are expected to pay $250,000, with $238,400 going to the Republican National Committee.
