GOP convention apologizes to Sheldon Adelson for funding appeal
In a letter they now say was inaccurate, organizers asked billionaire supporter to make up $6m. event shortfall, alleging donors deterred by Trump reneged on pledges
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CLEVELAND — The Republican National Convention will apologize to Sheldon Adelson for a letter asking him to cover a $6 million shortfall, saying it contained inaccuracies and was not reviewed by all its signatories.
Politico reported Friday that the convention host committee was set to apologize to Adelson for inaccuracies in the letter regarding donors who reneged on pledges. Visa and Koch Industries were among the companies denying they had made pledges.
It quoted a spokeswoman for the convention, Emily Lauer, who attributed the errors to the last-minute rush to make up shortfalls.
Politico had broken the news of the extraordinary appeal sent to Adelson, the casino magnate and major giver to pro-Israel and Republican causes, on Thursday. The letter bluntly stated that controversies related to Trump and his broadsides against minorities and women were why some donors were reneging on their pledges. It asked Adelson to make up the difference between the $58 million it had raised and the Cleveland convention’s $64 million cost.
A number of companies, including Coca-Cola and Apple, are reported to have pulled funding because of the Trump controversies. But Politico said that at least two of those named in the letter as reneging, energy magnate David Koch and Visa, had not pledged money in the first place.
Additionally, while the letter bore the names of all five members of the host committee, only one, David Gilbert, the convention CEO, had seen the letter.
According to Politico, Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign manager, told Fox News Channel that if Adelson were to give $6 million, he would prefer it go directly to Trump’s campaign.
Trump’s campaign, extraordinarily for a nominee, has been characterized by tensions with the Republican establishment even since he secured the nomination.
Adelson, who has been reported as ready to spend tens of millions of dollars to elect Trump, did not comment to Politico. Whether he agreed to contribute toward the shortfall was not known.
The Times of Israel Community.