Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign is facing financial challenges, as evidenced by the meager $2.6 million raised in May. This low fundraising total highlights the campaign’s heavy reliance on Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, a wealthy Silicon Valley lawyer.
Unlike previous months, May saw little in the way of new contributions from Shanahan, who has been a significant financial supporter of the campaign. In fact, the total amount raised by Kennedy in May was almost entirely consistent with April’s fundraising numbers, with the majority of funds coming from Shanahan.
Kennedy currently has $6.4 million on hand, but this figure does not paint a full picture of the campaign’s financial health. This is because Shanahan, with her substantial personal wealth, has the ability to inject additional funds into the campaign at any time. Campaign finance laws restrict individual donations to $3,300, but candidates can contribute unlimited amounts of their own money. Shanahan, who is rumored to have access to over $1 billion, has not indicated any limits to her financial support.
The campaign’s expenses in May totaled around $6.3 million, with a significant portion allocated to ballot-access work, which can be costly. However, nearly half of these expenses were funneled through a limited liability company specializing in ballot access, making it challenging to discern the exact nature of the expenditures.
As the campaign moves forward, the financial partnership between Kennedy and Shanahan will continue to play a crucial role in determining its viability. With Shanahan’s significant financial resources potentially at their disposal, the campaign’s future fundraising efforts and overall financial strategy remain uncertain.