Helen H. Richardson/MediaNewsGr/The Denver Post/Getty Images
AURORA, COLORADO – MAY 19: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a voter rally at The Hangar at Stanley Marketplace on May 19, 2024 in Aurora, Colorado. Kennedy spoke of his plan to “revitalize the middle class, dismantle corporate control of government, dismantle the war machine, end the chronic disease epidemic, reduce the national debt, make housing affordable again, and protect constitutional rights.”
CNN
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raised $2.6 million for his May presidential campaign, a modest figure that reflects the vast disparity between the funds available for his presidential campaign and those of his major-party rivals, according to new Federal Election Commission filings.
The new filings also reveal that Kennedy’s campaign pumped money into voting access efforts, a major issue for independent presidential campaigns, last month, spending a total of $6.3 million – more than double what it raised – before running out of cash.
According to filings, the campaign paid about $2.7 million in May to consulting firm Accelerate 2020 LLC, which has provided voting access consulting services to several federal candidates, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and author Marianne Williamson. The Kennedy campaign also disclosed spending tens of thousands of dollars on voting access, including more than $380,000 on internet advertising.
Kennedy’s campaign ended May with about $6.4 million in cash on hand, far less than his major party rival, President Joe F. Kennedy. Biden and former President Donald Trump. As of the end of April, the most recent data available, the Biden campaign had $84.5 million in campaign funds, while the Trump campaign reported having $49.1 million in cash.
Notably, the Kennedy campaign has not received any contributions from vice presidential candidate Nicole Shanahan, the wealthy Silicon Valley lawyer who already gave $10 million to the Kennedy campaign in May. Still, Shanahan’s personal fortune is a financial lifeline for the Kennedy campaign, and she can make unlimited personal donations to her independent run for president.
The Federal Election Commission’s monthly report is due to be filed Thursday, which will reveal additional details about the fundraising and spending activities of the president-elect’s campaign and several key affiliated committees.
