CAMPAIGN FINANCE/ELECTION/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Republican National Committee brought in $15.5 million in January and ended the month with $28.6 million cash on hand as it prepared for President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, according to a new campaign finance disclosure. The committee spent more than $300 million during the midterm election cycle helping Republicans, and it is now working closely with Trump’s reelection effort. In addition to raising $8.9 million directly from donors in January, the RNC collected more than $6 million from two joint fundraising committees affiliated with the committee and the Trump campaign. The Democratic National Committee — which does not have the advantage of a sitting president leading its party — started the year significantly behind its GOP counterpart, raising $6.5 million in January and finished the month with $6.5 million in the bank. The DNC also had $5.7 million in debt at the end of the month. The RNC spent $10.5 million in January. Costs associated with raising money, such as mail production and telemarketing, were among the committee’s biggest expenses last month and it spent $1.7 million on postage, the single largest expense category.”
–Maggie Severns, “RNC raised $15.5M in January amid Trump reelection prep,” Politico, February 20, 2019 10:26 pm