The nomination of billionaire Donald Trump is turning out to be a costly endeavor for the Republican National Committee. In fact, the RNC is now begging Las Vegas casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson to cough up $6 million to help save the day.
“Over the past couple months, negative publicity around our potential nominee resulted in a considerable number of pledges backing out from their commitments,” the letter obtained by POLITICO says. “We would greatly appreciate if you would consider a $6,000,000 contribution to the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee to help us cross the finish line.”
The letter confirms that the Koch brothers, perhaps the most influential fundraisers in Republican politics, have canceled a pledged $1 million donation.
Many companies have also decided not to financially back the Trump coronation. Those backing out of their pledges include:
- FedEx ($500,000)
- Visa ($100,000)
- Pepsi ($500,000)
- Coca-Cola ($1 million)
- United Health ($500,000)
- Apple ($250,000)
In total, over two dozen prominent corporations and individuals have reneged on $8.1 million in pledged donations. The letter says the RNC has raised $58 million, $6 million below the $64 million that was promised to bring the convention to Cleveland.