Romney raises $100 million in June
Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney raised $100 million in conjunction with the Republican National Committee (RNC) last month, according to GOP officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The former Massachusetts governor is likely to have outraised President Barack Obama for a second month in a row.
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is likely to have outspent President Barack Obama
for the second month in a row. Photo: AP.
In May, Mr. Romney and the RNC raised $76.8 million, whereas Mr. Obama and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) only managed to pocket $60 million. This was the first time the Republican candidate had outraised the incumbent president.
There is evidence that Mr. Romney benefited from the Supreme Court‘s ruling last week, when the justices upheld Mr. Obama‘s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the individual mandate. The former governor’s campaign reported raising $4.6 million in the 24 hours which followed the court’s decision. The Obama campaign also confirmed that it had benefited from the ruling, although it did not reveal how much it had raised on this occasion.
While the Romney campaign is outraising the president, it is also accumulating large cash reserves, which could put the Republicans at an advantage in the weeks to come. Indeed, the Romney team up to now has been prudent with its cash, while the Obama campaign has been spending heavily on advertising.
“I think Romney is going to continue to have big months,” said an Obama campaign official on condition of anonymity. “Combine that with the super PAC [Political Action Committee] stuff, you know, we are going to be the first incumbent outspent. That’s clear,” the official added.
Mr. Romney has the backing of powerful super PACs, including Restore Our Future and American Crossroads. Super PACs can raise an unlimited amount of cash for a candidate. However, they are not allowed to communicate with the campaign of the candidate they support. Mr. Obama also benefits from one major super PAC, Priorities USA Action. However, the pro-Democratic committee is much less successful at raising large amounts of cash than similar pro-Republican groups.
Speaking on behalf of Mr. Obama, the president’s spokesman, Ben LaBolt, accused the Romney campaign of releasing fund raising figures instead of answering important questions concerning the former governor’s policies as well as his tax arrangements.
“Americans are less concerned about how much money he raised to get himself elected and more interested in what he would do after repealing health reform, which he has refused to share,” Mr. LaBolt said. The president’s spokesman also urged Mr. Romney to publish a number of tax returns, after The Associated Press revealed that the former governor had used an offshore institution in Bermuda to increase his wealth.
Indeed, Mr. LaBolt asked Mr. Romney “[…] why he won’t disclose the necessary tax returns to show whether or not he paid any U.S. taxes on his shell corporation in Bermuda.”
The candidates and super PACs have until July 20 to file fund raising and spending figures with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).