Adelson Gives $1 Million to PAC for Florida Republicans

Original Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-09/adelson-gives-1-million-to-pac-for-florida-republicans.html

By Greg Giroux

Billionaire casino executive Sheldon Adelson, who has donated tens of millions of dollars to promote Republican presidential candidates and oppose President Barack Obama, is also using his wealth to elect Republicans in Florida.

Adelson donated $1 million last month to a super-political action committee that promotes Representative Connie Mack IV, who polls show is favored to win the state’s Aug. 14 Republican Senate primary and oppose Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson in November.

 

The contribution was disclosed today in a filing by the super-PAC, Freedom PAC, to the Federal Election Commission today.

Freedom PAC is “supporting strong conservative candidates in Florida,” and its “top priority is electing Connie Mack to the U.S. Senate,” the PAC says on its website.

Adelson and his wife Miriam donated $10 million in June to a super-PAC that backs Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Adelson and his family members previously had contributed $21.5 million to a super-PAC supporting Newt Gingrich, one of Romney’s rivals for the Republican nomination.

Freedom PAC received $50,000 in May from Florida-based The Villages of Lake Sumter, one of the world’s largest retirement communities. Billionaire H. Gary Morse is the development’s chief executive officer.

Harold Simmons, the billionaire chairman of Dallas-based Contran Corp., gave $5,000 last month to Freedom PAC. Simmons and his wife have given more than $15 million to super-PACs as individuals or through his company.