According to its first filing with the Federal Election Commission, the super PAC supporting Chris Christie, Tell It Like It Is, has raised $5.9 million since the former New Jersey governor launched his GOP presidential bid in June.
The reporting period covers May 30 through June 30, and almost all of the donations to the PAC were made after he announced his campaign. High-profile donors include Jared Kushner’s uncle, Murray Kushner, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper and real estate mogul Harlan Crow.
The largest donation made to Tell It Like It Is came from a limited liability company called SHBT, which gave $1 million. The PAC has also received three $500,000 donations and seven $250,000 donations.
“In just three short weeks, we’re proud of the nearly $6 million dollars raised for Tell It Like It Is,” said PAC chair Bill Palatucci in a statement. “This is just a starting point, and we’re confident our donor base will grow as the Governor’s message of moving the Republican party forward continues to take hold.”
From the start, Christie established himself as one of frontrunner Donald Trump’s most vocal conservative critics. Despite being considered a long shot to win the nomination, he has received the support of some of the most prominent anti-Trump Republicans.
Tell It Like It Is spent nearly $428,000 during the reporting period on advertisements and text messaging services, leaving it with roughly $5.45 million. His success in fundraising has qualified him for the first Republican debate on August 23, though his polling average remains below 3%.
The Christie campaign said that it is doing much better in fundraising than in 2016 when the former governor first ran for president.
