Rubio Is Poised to Win the Billionaire Primary
From a man who bought an island to a developer with Hitler paintings, a range of very wealthy donors are backing Marco Rubio.
...
Sheldon Adelson
The sought-after billionaire is leaning toward Rubio. Rubio may soon be the official winner of the so-called "Adelson primary," the ritual that sends Republican candidates on a pilgrimage to Las Vegas to win the support of the staunchly Zionist casino magnate worth $26 billion. According to
Politico:
Rubio and Adelson have grown increasingly close, with the senator phoning the billionaire several times a month to provide in-depth updates on the state of his campaign. The two men also have detailed policy discussions, especially about international affairs and Israel—the latter a cause near and dear to the mogul. Adelson has long looked favorably on Rubio, a fellow son of immigrants.
Trump tweeted on Tuesday that Adelson liked Rubio because the senator from Florida is a "perfect little puppet."
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Larry Ellison
The Oracle founder, worth an estimated $54 billion,
bought a Hawaiian island for nearly $300 million and famously turned the America's Cup boat race into a deadly affair. Though he has donated to both Democrats and Republicans in the past, Ellison gave $3 million to Mitt Romney's super-PAC in 2012. As of the latest filings, he has given $3 million to Conservative Solutions PAC, the super-PAC supporting Rubio, and has not donated to any other campaign's super-PACs. He has also given $5,400 directly to Rubio's campaign.
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Norman Braman
The billionaire Miami car dealer has been in Rubio's corner since the
beginning of the race—and a long time before that. He's offered financial support to Rubio
throughout his career, funding his political campaigns and buoying his personal finances. Braman has at different times hired both Rubio, as a lawyer, and his wife, Jeanette, to advise his philanthropic foundation. As of this summer, Braman had donated $5 million to Rubio's super-PAC, and he had not given to any competing super-PACs.
Harlan Crow
In September, Rubio came under fire for holding a fundraiser on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur at the home of this multimillionaire real estate developer, who among his
vast collection of art and historical artifacts owns two paintings by Adolf Hitler and a signed copy of his book,
Mein Kampf. Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz called Rubio's decision to attend the fundraiser that day "a gross act of disrespect." Rubio
pushed back. "I was outraged because this is a private citizen and individual who participates in the political process, [and] anyone who knows him for two seconds realizes he's not a Nazi sympathizer," Rubio said.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/10/rubio-donors-billionaires-adelson
