It was just last week that Democrat megadonor and environmental activist Tom Steyer indicated he wouldn’t be supporting Patrick Murphy in his primary campaign against Alan Grayson.
It was just another episode in Murphy’s predictable struggle to connect with his party’s liberal base.
And nothing says grassroots support like making up for lost money by having your dad bankroll a Super PAC with a half million dollars taken straight out of the family fortune. Just days after the Steyer story broke, financial reports reveal that Murphy’s Super PAC took in another six-figure check from his dad’s business (in which Patrick owns a $5 million stake…no big deal).
- “A super PAC supporting Patrick Murphy’s Democratic campaign for Senate brought in more than $400,000 over the first three [months] of 2016, most of it from his family’s construction company. Of the first-quarter cash raised by Floridians for a Strong Middle Class, $300,000 came from Coastal Construction. Murphy’s father, Tom, co-owns the company, and Patrick has an up to $5 million stake in it but no day-to-day role. In December, Tom also wrote a $200,000 check in his name to the committee, which overall has $841,346 in the bank.” (Matt Dixon, “Super PAC Backing Murphy Gets $300,000 From Family Business,” Politico, 4/15/16)
Murphy 2016: My Dad Can Fix It