WASHINGTON – Though Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich has faltered,
key financial backer Sheldon Adelson has given more contributions to help the
GOP defeat the Democrats.
The Netanyahu confidante and his Israeli-born
wife Miriam have donated $5 million to a GOP Super PAC that tries to get
Republicans elected to the US House of Representatives, according to new filing
reports released Sunday.
The donations come on top of more than $16
million the couple gave to a Super PAC backing Gingrich that keep his campaign
operation going despite significantly trailing front-runner Mitt
Romney.
Adelson has emerged as one of the major givers to the new Super
PAC structure created in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens
United, and the donation to the Congressional Leadership Fund demonstrates that
Adelson intends to use his money to play a role in the 2012 races beyond
supporting a longtime political ally.
Huffington Post writer Paul
Blumenthal said Monday that the Congressional Leadership Fund contribution
“solidifies Adelson’s place as the most influential donor so far this cycle and
shows that Republican donors will not focus all of their attention, and money,
on the presidential race.”
The Congressional Leadership Fund was launched
with the help of the major GOP House Leadership and is chaired by Norm Coleman,
the Jewish former Minnesota senator. Contributions to the fund have mostly
otherwise been modest, with Adelson’s money dramatically increasing its
resources.
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