Eleventh hour political donations marked by Adelson largesse
By Kathy Kiely Oct 25 2012 2:56 p.m.A casino-fueled and Israel-inspired power couple that so far has underwritten Republican candidates and causes to the tune of more than $35 million in the 2012 campaign continued its open-handed ways in the closing weeks of the contest.
The final accountings of campaign committees before Election Day are due at the Federal Election Commission at midnight Thursday and early returns show big contributions from Sheldon and Miriam Adelson in the first two weeks of October.
Sheldon Adelson, who owns the Las Vegas Sands Corp. as well as casinos in Bethelehem, Pa., Singapore and Macau, gave $1.5 million Independence Virginia, a super PAC spending to defeat Tim Kaine, the Democratic Senate candidate in Virginia. Kaine is running against Republican George Allen.
Adelson and his wife, Miriam, gave a combined $1 million to the Ending Spending Action Fund, a super PAC that mainly focuses on the defeat of President Barack Obama and that has up until now been almost singlehandedly underwritten by Chicago Cubs owner Joe Ricketts.
Miriam Adelson began her medical career in Israel and she and her husband have made advancing the cause of the Jewish state a centerpiece of both their political and philanthropic giving.
Las Vegas Sands and its chairman and CEO have several issues before the federal government, including a foreign corrupt practices act investigation and tax issues before the IRS.
Adelson ranks 12th on the Forbes list of the 400 wealthiest Americans, with a fortune estimated at $20.5 billion.
Search the Blog
Related Content
- 2012 election 218
- Ending Spending 3
- George Allen 2
- Miriam Adelson 2
- Sheldon Adelson 16
- Super PACs 91
- Tim Kaine 2
- VA Senate 1
Real Time Ticker
Recent Posts
- Thanks to lobbying, farm bill yields crop insurance funds
- Surge of immigration lobbyists fueled by push for high-skilled foreign workers
- Health group airs ad backing Obama EPA nominee
- Apple lobbies on taxes more than any other subject
- Reporter's notebook: How we came up with that campaign finance maze
Reporting we're watching
- OpenSecrets: Millionaire Freshmen Make Congress Even Wealthier
- OpenSecrets: Just Who Was Rand Paul's Apology For?
- OpenSecrets: Shape-Shifting by Liberal Dark Money Groups Seems Meant to Confuse
- Sunlight Foundation: OpenGov Voices: Network, collaborate, and innovate at CityCamp NC
- Sunlight Foundation: 2Day in #OpenGov 5/22/2013
