Former President Donald Trump’s name carries significant influence in the 2024 Republican Party landscape.
Republican candidates are keenly aware of this and have previously leveraged Trump’s name for fundraising purposes. However, Trump’s campaign typically demands a share of the proceeds if other candidates wish to use his name on the ballot.
Following Trump’s felony convictions in New York, his campaign instructed Republicans to refrain from using the trial solely for their own fundraising efforts.
“Any Republican elected official, candidate or party committee siphoning money from President Trump’s donors are no better than Judge Merchan’s daughter,” warned Trump co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita said, referring to Loren Merchan, whom Republicans have alleged used the Trump trial to fundraise for Democrats.
LaCivita emphasized that the Trump campaign is not currently in a generous mood.
“We’re keeping a list, we’ll be checking it twice and we aren’t in the spirit of Christmas.”
At least one Republican candidate has attempted to fundraise without seemingly offering Trump anything in return. Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams, running in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, sent a fundraising email mentioning the trial that links directly to his own campaign contributions form.
The Truth Voices reached out to both the Trump and Williams campaigns but did not receive a response.
Trump’s campaign has asked candidates in the past to split at least 5% of the proceeds from fundraising that uses Trump’s name, image, or likeness, with splits higher than 5% “seen favorably by the RNC and President Trump’s campaign.”
They also requested fundraisers using Trump in emails avoid certain “language and tactics,” such as speaking on behalf of Trump.
“Any vendor whose clients ignore the guidelines mentioned above will be held responsible for their clients’ actions,” Trump campaign officials Susie Wiles and LaCivita said. “Repeated violations will result in the suspension of business relationships between the vendor and Trump National Committee JFC. This includes list rental agreements.”
Previously, the campaign sent an email to the GOP’s House fundraising arm warning them to avoid using consulting firms to fundraise off Trump without his consent. Candidates who disregarded this would find it “highly unlikely” to receive Trump’s endorsement.
LaCivita and Wiles delivered stern warnings to candidates utilizing firms that failed to get the campaign’s consent to fundraise off Trump.
“President Trump has built the most powerful, successful brand in the history of American politics — at great personal expense and toll to him and his family,” they wrote last year. “When you deceive the President’s donors and usurp his brand for your own profit, you drain him of the financial resources his campaign needs to defeat Joe Biden and Make America Great Again.”
Trump’s fundraising surged after his trial’s verdict, with a key Republican fundraising website crashing as a result.
President Joe Biden has generally led Trump in campaign fundraising. However, Trump surpassed Biden in April. No data have been released for May yet, but Trump reported raising more than $34 million since the guilty verdict.
