Fundraising by former President Donald Trump’s primary political group briefly quadrupled for a few days after the FBI searched his South Florida property in August. But the group also reported a significant increase in fundraising expenses during the third quarter, according to a POLITICO analysis of new campaign finance filings.
The data provides further evidence of how law enforcement’s decision to seize classified documents from Trump’s resort energized the former president’s base. And it shows how the former president’s political operation is churning through the GOP’s small-donor pool at an accelerating pace as a potential comeback campaign draws near.
The Save America Joint Fundraising Committee reported just over $24 million raised in the third quarter of 2022, up from $17 million in the second quarter. Nearly 20 percent of the group’s third-quarter fundraising came in the week after the Aug. 8 FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. That includes $2.2 million that came in on Aug. 9 and 10 alone, according to a new campaign finance report from WinRed, the online fundraising conduit used by Save America and numerous other Republican groups.
Previous reporting indicated that Save America received a surge in donations in August, but the specific amount was unknown.
The joint fundraising committee has been Trump’s primary vehicle for raising money from donors since launching in February 2021. It gathers money for two groups — Save America and Make America Great Again PAC — that have helped cover some of Trump’s legal bills this year, paid for costs associated with his rallies, backed his preferred candidates in primaries and made campaign contributions.
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