Mitt Romney's Free and Strong America PAC Raises Nearly Three Million Dollars in 2009
BOSTON, MA – Mitt Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC today filed its year-end finance report with the Federal Election Commission, closing out its 2009 activity. The PAC reported raising $2,912,697 from January 1st through December 31st, 2009. Contributions to Republican state and federal candidates and causes in this off-election year totaled $120,745.87.
The PAC started 2009 with $337,976 cash on hand. After expenditures, the PAC begins 2010 with $1,125,375 cash on hand, a substantial war chest to help finance Republican candidates in the important 2010 cycle.
Mitt Romney formed the Free and Strong America PAC because he believes in the importance of helping Republican candidates and promoting conservative causes around the country. The federal PAC contributed $64,754.74 to federal candidates and committees, and an additional $28,491.13 to state and local candidates.
Mitt Romney’s PAC also has five state affiliates in Alabama, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, which did not conduct any fundraising but which made contributions to candidates nonetheless. In 2009, the New Hampshire PAC contributed $17,500 out of its existing balances, including the maximum $1,000 toward Jeb Bradley’s successful campaign to become a New Hampshire State Senator, and an additional $10,000 to the New Hampshire GOP. In addition, the Alabama PAC contributed $10,000 out of its existing balances in support of Kay Ivey’s gubernatorial campaign.
The federal PAC’s contributions include $9,000 in early "seed money" to U.S. Senator-Elect Scott Brown, who went on to win a special election in Massachusetts to become the state’s first Republican Senator in decades.
The PAC also gave $5,000 each to Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Republican Whip Eric Cantor (VA-07), Missouri Representative Roy Blunt who is running for U.S. Senate, Jim Tedisco who ran in a special election to represent New York’s 20th congressional district, and David Harmer who ran in a special election to represent California’s 10th congressional district.
The federal PAC also contributed $1,000 each to the “Undaunted Dozen,” a group of House Republicans targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for their votes against the $800 billion stimulus bill. In addition, the PAC contributed the maximum $6,800 to the successful campaign of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and $5,000 each to the successful campaigns of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, and Virginia Delegate Barbara Comstock.
