Representative Scott Perry (R-PA) delivers his objection to Pennsylvania’s certifications of their electoral college vote during a joint session of the 117th Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol.
Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
More than 50 billionaires donated in the second half of 2021 to legislators who voted against certifying the presidential election, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission records.
Fifty-five billionaires and 19 spouses of billionaires contributed at least $665,000 to the committees of about one-third of the 147 senators and representatives who voted not to certify, between July and October 2021. Among the donors: Citadel hedge fund titan Ken Griffin, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was the largest beneficiary between July and October 2021. He raised over $110,000 from the billionaire donors. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York raised more than anyone besides McCarthy.
Oil baron-turned-hotelier Robert Rowling, who owns the Omni hotel chain, and his wife Terry, gave the most of any billionaires. Together, the Texas couple donated $446,800 to GOP fundraising committee Take Back The House 2022 in August. Then, $143,400 of that was shuttled to 14 different campaign committees and one leadership PAC of House representatives who voted to not certify, including ones belonging to McCarthy, Steve Chabot of Ohio and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.
Donors who make contributions to joint-fundraising committees like Take Back The House typically don’t have a say in where their money goes once they’ve written a check. Instead, the money is split up, according to a formula, with funds flowing to more than 50 House Republicans who received less than 56% of the vote in 2020, or who received an average of less than 56% of votes for the last two election cycles, a spokesperson for McCarthy previously told Forbes.
Many of the other billionaires gave to just one or two candidates directly. For example, New York billionaire Ira Rennert, who owns a lead and zinc production company headquartered in St. Louis, gave $2,900 to Missouri Senator Josh Hawley—the most an individual can donate directly to a candidate per election. Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris and his wife gave $11,600 to Rep. Billy Long. Long represents a district including Springfield, Missouri, headquarters for Bass Pro.
Businesspeople often donate to members of both parties. When asked about contributions he made earlier in the year to McCarthy and Kennedy, New York billionaire John Catsimatidis toldForbes in July that he gives to “common sense” Republicans and Democrats. He said, “Trying to relate my contribution to January 6 is not being realistic. It has nothing to do with it.”
But some view donations to people who refused to certify the election differently. “This is not a normal time—we’re not talking about disagreements on tax policy,” says Robert Maguire, research director at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, adding, “At the core of it, stability is what’s being undermined right now.”
About 45% of the donors also contributed to Donald Trump’s reelection campaign. One donor, Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta gave to both Joe Biden and Trump’s presidential campaigns and then, in September, gave to Rep. Scalise. Florida real estate tycoon Jorge Perez gave to Biden’s campaign in 2020 and donated to Rep. Carlos Gimenez of Florida in September. And Ken Griffin, who gave $500,000 to Biden’s inauguration, also later gave to the campaigns of Devin Nunes, Scott Perry and Jacob LaTurner, among others, via his own contributions to Take Back The House.
A little less than one-quarter of the donors live in Texas, and another 14% live in New York. About 25% built their fortunes in finance and about 12% in real estate.
Here is the full list of billionaire donors, in alphabetical order:
Methodology: Forbes reviewed third quarter candidate committee records filed in October with the Federal Election Commission, as well as recent leadership PAC records, and counted contributions of $500 and more made to committees. Some contributions were labeled in committee records as transfers from other joint-fundraising committees.
Net worth: $1.4 billion
Donated to: Rep. Byron Donalds, Florida ($5,000); Rep. Michelle Fischbach, Minnesota ($2,500); Rep. Mark Green, Tennessee ($5,800)
Net worth: $11 billion
Donated to: Rep. Kevin McCarthy, California ($5,800) and McCarthy’s leadership PAC ($5,000)
Spouse’s net worth: $2.5 billion
Donated to: Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s leadership PAC ($5,000)
Net worth: $1.2 billion
Donated to: Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colorado ($1,000)
Net worth: $2.5 billion
Donated to: Sen. Rick Scott, Florida ($5,800) in August 2021
Net worth: $3 billion
Donated to: Rep. Mike Rogers, Alabama ($5,800)
Net worth: $3.7 billion
Donated to: Rep. Kat Cammack, Florida ($5,800); Rep. Matt Rosendale, Montana ($2,800); Rep. Jeff Van Drew, New Jersey ($2,900)
Net worth: $6.9 billion
Donated to: Sen. John Kennedy, Louisiana ($8,700)
Net worth: $2.3 billion
Donated to: Rep. Roger Williams, Texas ($5,000)
Net worth: $1.4 billion
Donated to: Rep. Lance Gooden, Texas ($5,800)
Net worth: $2.9 billion
Donated to: Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colorado ($3,842)
Net worth: $6.3 billion
Donated to: Rep. Steve Scalise, Louisiana ($5,800)
Net worth: $2.9 billion
Donated to: Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colorado ($6,404)
Net worth: $6.4 billion
Donated to: Sen. John Kennedy, Louisiana ($11,600); Rep. Alexander Mooney’s leadership PAC ($9,200)
Net worth: $2.6 billion
Donated to: Sen. Josh Hawley, Missouri ($1,000)
Net worth: $1.7 billion
Donated to: Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas ($1,000)
Net worth: $21.1 billion
Donated to: Rep. Carlos Gimenez, Florida ($3,000)
The following received $5,800 each: Rep. Yvette Herrell, New Mexico; Rep. Jacob LaTurner, Kansas; Rep. Devin Nunes, California; Rep. Scott Perry, Pennsylvania
Net worth: $3.2 billion
Donated to: Rep. Steve Scalise, Louisiana ($5,800); Sen. Rick Scott, Florida ($5,200)
Net worth: $14.2 billion
Donated to: Rep. Kevin Hern, Oklahoma ($2,900)
Net worth: $2.3 billion
Donated to: Rep. Mark Green, Tennessee ($2,000)
Net worth: $3.8 billion
Donated to: Rep. Kevin McCarthy, California ($11,600); Rep. Steve Scalise, Louisiana ($11,600) and McCarthy’s leadership PAC ($10,000)
Net worth: $12.2 billion
Donated to: Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, Wisconsin ($5,800)
Net worth: $1.8 billion
Donated to: Rep. Jeff Van Drew, New Jersey ($5,800); Rep. Beth Van Duyne, Texas ($3,000)
Net worth: $2.2 billion
Donated to: Rep. Yvette Herrell, New Mexico ($1,500); Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colorado ($1,500), Rep. Jim Jordan’s leadership PAC ($10,000)
Net worth: $6 billion
Donated to: Rep. Jodey Arrington, Texas ($11,600); Rep. Robert Aderholt, Alabama ($11,600)
Net worth: $2.7 billion
Donated to: Rep. Kevin McCarthy, California ($2,000)
Net worth: $5.8 billion
Donated to: Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colorado ($5,800)
Net worth: $3.9 billion
Donated to: Rep. Steve Scalise, Louisiana ($5,800)
Net worth: $2.3 billion
Donated to: Rep. Mark Green, Tennessee ($5,800)
Net worth: $8.2 billion
Donated to: Sen. Josh Hawley, Missouri ($1,900)
Net worth: $8.6 billion
Donated to: Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, New York ($2,900)
Net worth: $3.4 billion
Donated to: Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, New York ($5,000)
Net worth: $5.4 billion
Donated to: Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, New York ($5,800)
Net worth: $1.5 billion
Donated to: Rep. Michael Cloud, Texas ($5,800)
Net worth: $7.9 billion
Donated to: Rep. Kevin McCarthy, California ($11,600)
Net worth: $4 billion
Donated to: Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s leadership PAC: $5,000
Donated to: Rep. Byron Donalds, Florida ($5,800); Sen. Rick Scott, Florida ($5,800); Rep. Lance Gooden, Texas ($5,800)
Net worth: $3.7 billion
Donated to: Sen. Josh Hawley, Missouri ($2,900)
Net worth: $6.6 billion
Donated to: Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s leadership PAC ($5,000)
Net worth: $8.3 billion
Donated to: Rep. Robert Aderholt, Alabama ($5,800)
Net worth: $4.9 billion
Donated to: Rep. Troy Nehls, Texas ($5,800); Rep. Roger Williams, Texas ($5,800); Rep. John Carter, Texas ($5,800); Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s leadership PAC ($10,000)
The following received $11,600 each: Rep. Carlos Gimenez, Florida; Rep. Beth Van Duyne, Texas; Rep. David Schweikert, Arizona; Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, New York; Rep. Scott Perry, Pennsylvania; Rep. Steve Chabot, Ohio; Rep. Stephanie Bice, Oklahoma; Rep. Burgess Owens, Utah; Rep. Mike Garcia, California; Rep. Kevin McCarthy, California
Net worth: $7.9 billion
Donated to: Sen. John Kennedy, Louisiana ($17,400)
The following received $5,800 each: Rep. Carlos Gimenez, Florida; Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colorado; Stephanie Bice, Oklahoma; Rep. Devin Nunes, California; Rep. Jacob LaTurner, Kansas; Rep. Yvette Herrell, New Mexico; Rep. Lee Zeldin, New York; Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, New York; Rep. Scott Perry, Pennsylvania
Net worth: $13.6 billion
Donated to: Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colorado ($1,833)
Net worth: $36.5 billion
Donated to: Rep. Kevin McCarthy, California ($5,800); Rep. Richard Hudson, North Carolina ($2,900); Rep. Ron Estes, Kansas ($5,800); Rep. Devin Nunes, California ($5,800)
Net worth: $6.8 billion
Donated to: Rep. Tom Rice, South Carolina ($11,600)
Net worth: $3 billion
Donated to: Sen. John Kennedy, Louisiana ($5,800)
Net worth: $5.8 billion
Donated to: Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s leadership PAC ($5,000)
Net worth: $3.2 billion
Donated to: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, Florida ($5,800); Rep. Tom Cole, Oklahoma ($5,800); Rep. Chris Stewart, Utah ($5,800)
Net worth: $1.5 billion
Donated to: Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s leadership PAC ($10,000)
Net worth: $1.7 billion
Donated to: Rep. Kevin McCarthy, California ($5,800); Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s leadership PAC ($5,000)
Net worth: $3.1 billion
Donated to: Rep. Mark Green, Tennessee ($1,000)
Net worth: $2 billion
Donated to: Rep. Tim Walberg, Michigan ($10,000)
Net worth: $6 billion
Donated to: Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, New York ($2,000)
