Loeffler, husband drop $31 million, so far, on GOP campaigns

When this election is over, U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler could be nursing a serious case of writer’s cramp, given the amount of checks she has signed this campaign season.

Loeffler and her husband, Intercontinental Exchange Chief Executive Jeff Sprecher, have lent or given more than $31 million so far to help finance GOP races for the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House and the White House.

Of that, $23 million went into Loeffler’s campaign account, giving her more cash to spend in the special election for her seat than the other 20 candidates combined. Loeffler is currently the third-largest self-funder in the country this election cycle, trailing only billionaires and former presidential hopefuls Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer, and she will have a chance to spend even more if she makes it to a Jan. 5 runoff.

Loeffler’s ability to fund her own campaign — she promised to spend at least $20 million in pursuit of reelection — was counted as among her assets when Gov. Brian Kemp named her to the Senate over the objections of President Donald Trump, as well as other Republicans who backed U.S. Rep. Doug Collins for the job.

But she’s also doing her share to fund other campaigns.

Loeffler has given $291,300 to the Trump Victory PAC and $248,500 to the Republican National Committee.

She has also contributed the maximum $2,800 to the campaigns of 16 of her 22 fellow Senate Republicans up for reelection, including Georgia’s own David Perdue. She’s done the same for some U.S. House candidates, including Angela Stanton-King, the Republican running in Georgia’s 5th Congressional District

Sprecher, whose company owns the New York Stock Exchange, has been handing out big money on his own. He donated an additional $7.9 million to GOP campaigns and PACs, including $5.5 million to Georgia United Victory, a PAC spending heavily against Collins in Loeffler’s race.

He also gave $1 million to the America First PAC supporting Trump, $717,000 to the National Senatorial Campaign Committee, $290,300 to Trump Victory, $258,500 to the RNC and contributions of $10,000 to 14 state Republican parties.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s all been within the limits set by law, something that Larry Nobel, a former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission, pointed out.

Said Nobel: “It reminds me of the line, ‘It’s not what’s illegal that’s scandalous, it’s what’s legal.’”