NFL team owners donate over 18 million dollars ahead of midterm elections
Ahead of the United States midterm elections on November 3, National Football League team owners poured more than 18 million dollars into political campaigns, political action committees, and party funds, according to financial disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission and reported by Front Office Sports. Roughly 15 million dollars of that total went directly to Donald Trump and the Republicans. The donations highlight the leanings among the league’s 32 ownership groups, even as the political landscape shifts ahead of the upcoming congressional ballots.
Walmart heir Rob Walton leads the Republican donor list
Denver Broncos owner Rob Walton emerged as the largest financial backer among NFL owners, contributing 8.96 million dollars to the Republicans throughout the campaign cycle. Walton holds an estimated net worth of 140 billion dollars. Other prominent contributors include Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and his wife, Dee, who spent 2.09 million dollars supporting multiple Republican candidates, and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who contributed 1.56 million dollars for Donald Trump, including a one-million-dollar check to MAGA Inc.
đ¨đ¨ Donald Trump is reportedly bringing three former football stars â Johnny Manziel, Colt McCoy and Danny Amendola â onto the campaign trail in Texas ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.The former NFL players are expected to join Trump for campaign appearancesâŚ
Tech and retail magnates back Democratic candidates
Seattle Seahawks owner Vinod Khosla donated 2.09 million dollars to the Democrats. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank contributed 315,500 dollars to the party’s efforts. Meanwhile, owners such as Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft split their giving; both have hosted prominent events for Donald Trump in the past but added smaller donations to Democratic PACs during this election cycle, contributing 10,500 dollars and 27,000 dollars respectively.
Bipartisan Gridiron PAC channels league influence in Washington
Beyond individual candidate contributions, the political influence of the league extends through the Gridiron PAC, a bipartisan political action committee established in 2008. Owners representing more than half of the NFL’s 32 franchises have funneled money into the fund, which distributed more than 700,000 dollars ahead of the midterms to candidates and political groups on both sides of the political spectrum.
Former players join campaign rallies as polls tighten
Former NFL players Danny Amendola and Johnny Manziel joined Donald Trump at a rally in Texas, flying aboard Air Force One to the event. The appearance coincided with a stretch of campaign stops across South Carolina, Florida, Kansas, and Iowa as candidates make their final pitches to voters ahead of the November 3 election day.
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