Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign raised just $2.6 million in May, a paltry sum that illustrates how dependent his campaign is on his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, a wealthy Silicon Valley lawyer.
According to documents filed Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission, the Kennedy campaign raised less money in May than it did in any other month so far in 2024. That’s mainly because Shanahan, who has pumped millions of dollars into Kennedy’s independent presidential campaign, contributed almost no additional funds in May.
Kennedy’s total fundraising total, excluding Shanahan, was nearly the same as what he raised in April: He raised $10.7 million that month, $8 million of which came from her. And before that, when Kennedy announced Shanahan as his running mate in March, she almost immediately donated $2 million to the campaign.
Kennedy had $6.4 million at the end of May, but that figure reveals little about his financial situation because of the looming possibility that Shanahan could put money into the campaign at any time. Campaign finance laws prohibit contributions of more than $3,300, but candidates can donate unlimited amounts of their own money, meaning Shanahan could put money into the campaign directly.
Shanahan, a philanthropist and former wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, is said to have a net worth of more than $1 billion. She has not said whether there is a limit to how much she spends.
Kennedy and his allies incur costs inherent to campaigning, primarily the cost of accessing the ballot, which can be costly.
The Trump campaign spent about $6.3 million in May, nearly half of which was paid out through a limited liability company that specializes in voting access. The funds were labeled “election consulting,” making the exact figures somewhat opaque.
