President Trump is finally beginning to tap significantly into his super PAC’s $400 million war chest to help Republicans in the midterms.
Mr. Trump’s political operation is behind a mysterious new super PAC that began reserving at least $47 million in advertisements to aid Republicans in half a dozen key battleground races on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The new group, No Going Back PAC Inc., is financially backed by MAGA Inc., Mr. Trump’s powerful main super PAC, according to two people with knowledge of the matter who insisted on anonymity to disclose the private spending plans.
The reservations so far target six Senate races and one House battleground. The biggest reservation on Tuesday had been $9.6 million in New Hampshire. But that was quickly leapfrogged early Wednesday by nearly $15 million in Michigan and $11 million in Ohio.
The spending represents the biggest midterm expenditure yet tied to Mr. Trump’s $400 million super PAC, which his team has promised for months will spend significantly on this year’s races. It also comes on the eve of the president’s unusual two-day convention in Dallas.
Democrats are bullish on their chances this fall, with Mr. Trump’s approval ratings sagging, but they are fearful that a glut of G.O.P. cash could hurt their chances. Elon Musk’s super PAC also began spending in more races this week.
With the rash of spending, No Going Back PAC has quickly become one of the six biggest spenders in the final two months of the campaign, according to data from AdImpact, a media tracking firm.
The new group was incorporated just a week ago, on Sept. 1. The timing ensures that it will not be required to file paperwork disclosing its funders or founders until mid-October.
It was not immediately clear why the Trump operation chose to create a new super PAC, the name of which will appear in the ads’ disclaimers in small text at the bottom of the screen.
A spokesman for MAGA Inc. did not respond to a request for comment.
On the “About Us” section of the new group’s website, No Going Back PAC Inc. says only that it “makes independent expenditures in U.S. federal elections in support of candidates who share the values of the founders and funders.”
The group was incorporated by Charles Gantt, a Republican political operative who specializes in campaign finance and regularly handles paperwork for Trump-connected entities, including MAGA Inc. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, the group placed $47.4 million in advertising reservations, with some ads beginning to run on Wednesday. The spending on Senate races includes $14.9 million in Michigan and $11.1 million in Ohio, according to AdImpact. The group also reserved $9.6 million in New Hampshire and $7.7 million in Alaska, less populous states where advertising spending generally goes a longer way.
The group dedicated smaller amounts to Senate races in North Carolina and Georgia, as well as a competitive House race in Pennsylvania where Representative Scott Perry, a Republican, is aiming to fend off a Democratic challenger.
The group also disclosed to the Federal Election Commission that it was sending direct mail to help Republicans in another 11 House races, and to oppose Josh Turek, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Iowa.
Republicans have closely scrutinized MAGA Inc.’s midterm spending plans. Some have been skeptical that Mr. Trump would sign off on devoting a significant amount of the group’s war chest, most recently reported to be over $400 million, to be used on the November elections.
But on Saturday, the group revealed that it was beginning to dole out some cash, sending $10 million to Texas to help Ken Paxton, the state attorney general and Republican nominee for Senate, who has been badly outspent by his Democratic opponent, James Talarico.
The post Trump’s Super PAC Starts to Unload Its War Chest, With New Group Booking $47 Million appeared first on New York Times.




