NFL Quarterback Eli Manning gave $2,700 maximum to Jeb Bush campaign. Photo courtesy: Ytoyoda via Wikimedia Commons.
By Francisco Alvarado
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
While Right to Rise, the super political action committee that is supporting Jeb Bush’s presidential candidacy, has yet to publicly release the names of the donors who contributed an astonishing $103 million, the former governor’s official campaign filed its first campaign finance report yesterday. As expected, Wall Street is stacking its chips with Bush, who served as an adviser to British bank Barclays until last year. So far, Bush has raised $11.4 million for the last three months ending on June 30.
According to the report, 57 employees of investment giant Goldman Sachs gave a combined $144,900 to the Bush campaign. By comparison, Goldman Sachs employees have given a combined $85,000 to Sen. Marco Rubio, the other major Republican contender from Florida, and former Secretary of State and Democratic front runner Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Employees of other banking firms that gave big to Bush include Barclays and Neuberger Berman, a company run by the former governor’s cousin George Walker. Neuberger raised more than $65,000 and Barclays raised $29,700 via employees, many who gave $2,700, the maximum amount that can be given to a candidate per election. Bush can also count on the captains of industry and their spouses. There are 444 donors who list their occupation as “CEO” and “chairman.” Another 404 donors listed as “homemakers” contributed a combined $1 million. Yet only $368,000 came from small donors, according to the Washington Post.
The donor list has a little bit of star power too. Two time Super Bowl Champion and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning gave $2,700, as did NASCAR driver Brian Vickers and his wife Sarah, who live in Miami Beach. Recognizable faces from Florida who gave the $2,700 maximum to his campaign include spirits magnate Facundo Bacardi Jr.; real estate developers Sergio Pino, Jay Kislak, and Stuart Miller; lobbyist and businessman Rodney Barreto, who was appointed to the state Fish and Wildlife Commission by Bush; former U.S. Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart; Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam; state Rep. Chris Latvala; and former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula and his wife Marry Anne.
The report also included $390,000 Bush gave himself to cover his expenses during his “testing-the-waters” period.
“Jeb 2016’s first report affirms what we have publicly stated over the past few months — that if Governor Bush engaged in any testing-the-waters activities that they would be paid for appropriately, and that if Governor Bush decided to run for office that any testing-the-waters expenses would be reported at the required time,” said campaign spokeswoman Kristy Campbell in a statement. “In the interest of transparency, the campaign has voluntarily identified all testing-the-waters expenses as such on this first report.”