Harris’ fundraising triples in August over Trump’s, boosting Democrats’ war chest, FEC filings show

Vice President Kamala Harris raised more than three times as much fundraising as former President Donald Trump in August, according to the latest filing with the Federal Election Commission, giving her team a huge financial advantage in the final weeks of the presidential race.

The Harris campaign and the Democratic National Committee entered the final two months of the 2024 election cycle with $286 million in the bank, while the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee had $214 million, the documents show.

The documents show this comes after the Harris campaign and the DNC raised $257 million in August, while the Trump campaign and the RNC raised $85 million in the same month.

Earlier this month, both campaigns voluntarily released their August fundraising totals, which included the total amounts raised from their joint fundraising operation with state party committees, revealing that Harris retained a significant financial advantage for the Democratic Party.

The Harris campaign and the DNC spent $258 million in August, almost exactly what they raised, while the Trump campaign and the RNC spent $121 million despite raising $85 million, the latest filings show.

Last month, billionaire tech tycoon Elon Musk made his largest federal political contribution yet, donating a total of $289,100 to the NRCC, a committee dedicated to supporting Republican House candidates. He has not contributed anything to the RNC or NRSC, which focus on Senate campaigns.

Musk has previously donated $50,000 to the House Republican Joint Fundraising Committee led by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and $36,000 to Obama’s 2012 campaign.

Some top Republican donors who supported former Gov. Nikki Haley during the Republican primaries are apparently finally starting to back Trump, writing big checks to a major pro-Trump super PAC.

Hedge fund manager Paul E. Singer donated $5 million to Make America Great Again Inc. after being a vocal Haley supporter earlier this year, according to the filing. Investment banker Warren Stephens, who donated $1 million to a pro-Haley super PAC last year, donated the same amount to a pro-Trump super PAC, according to the filing.

Trump’s Save America PAC’s new filing also shows it spent nearly $2 million on legal bills in August, with one of Trump’s lawyers, Todd Blanche, receiving more than $1 million of that total. Other prominent firms paid by Save America include James Otis Law Group LLC, Habba Madaio & Associates LLP, Robert & Robert PLLC and Richard C. Klugh PA.

Interestingly, the Trump campaign reported several small security expenses paid to Apocalypse Arms and Military Surplus in late July, following the assassination attempt on the former president, according to a new report. The total amount is $555.