Pro-Trump businessman leads huge month for megadonors pouring cash into election

The cavalry is here, and megadonors on both sides of the aisle are donating massive amounts of cash to politicians and outside groups in what's expected to be the most expensive election ever, new filings show.

Businessman Timothy Mellon, who has been a major donor to super PACs backing both former President Donald Trump and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., took his giving to a new level in May, giving MAGA Inc., the super PAC supporting Trump's bid, $50 million on the final day of the month. The date of the contribution listed in the report was the day after Trump's conviction in New York.

The gift was the largest federal individual campaign contribution so far this election cycle pending the remaining reports to be filed Thursday, and it's one of the largest of all time. So far this cycle, Mellon has given more than $100 million to political organizations. And the donation to MAGA Inc. made up most of the $68.8 million the group raised in May.

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor who ran for president in 2020 when some were concerned that then-Vice President Joe Biden couldn't vanquish more progressive Democratic rivals, ponied up to help Biden's re-election. Bloomberg gave $19 million to Biden's top super PAC, FF PAC, while The Washington Post reported that he gave $929,600 more to Biden's joint fundraising committee. (That group doesn't have to file new reports until later this year.)

Also in May, venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz donated $12.5 million each to Fairshake, the pro-cryptocurrency super PAC.

Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, the GOP megadonors and scions of the Uline shipping and packing company, gave MAGA Inc. a combined $10 million.