Gift horse

22 January 2019 By Gina Chon Follow @GinaChon

Some Democratic presidential contenders will shun corporate funds. But a large war chest will be handy amid a crowded field of progressives. Donald Trump has already raised more than $100 mln for his re-election bid. Big money may be unavoidable to take on the reality-TV star.

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U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, a Democrat from California, announced her 2020 presidential candidacy on Jan. 21. Aides told Politico that she would not form a super political action committee or accept donations from corporate political action committees. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, made a similar pledge about her White House bid on Jan. 16. A super PAC can raise unlimited amounts of money from a single individual, corporation or union but cannot coordinate directly with a candidate.

Other presidential contenders, including Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman Julian Castro, have also rejected super PACs. In an interview on MSNBC, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts challenged party rivals to accept only “grassroots funding” and say “no to the billionaires.”

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