Coleman-backed super PAC gets $5 million from casino owner
WASHINGTON - A super PAC founded by former Minnesota U.S. Senator Norm Coleman has received a $5 million donation from billionaire casino titan Sheldon Adelson, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Coleman founded the Congressional Leadership Fund last fall to take advantage of the unlimited fundraising and spending potential of super PACs, a less regulated form of political action committee. The Fund's goal is to back Republican House candidates and is closely allied with House Speaker John Boehner. Former Minnesota U.S. Rep. Vin Weber is also involved with the group.
Adelson, who runs the Sands Casino in Las Vegas and Macau, has become a prominent Republican donor this election cycle, contributing more than $16 million to a super PAC that backed the primary campaign of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich for the GOP presidential nomination.
The $5 million donation by Adelson represents almost the entirety of the Congressional Leadership Fund's fundraising in the first three months of the year. The Fund reported bringing in almost $5.1 million between January and March. In the previous quarter, the super PAC raised just $131,000.
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