Josh Kraft, son of the billionaire New England Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft and longtime philanthropist, has put one other $3.5 million towards his mayoral marketing campaign, bringing his whole contribution to $5.5 million so far.
Kraft’s newest submitting on Wednesday with the state Workplace of Marketing campaign and Political Finance reveals an infusion of $3.53 million in money for the month of August, with solely a small portion coming from marketing campaign contributions.
His marketing campaign confirmed Thursday that the majority of that monetary submitting got here from Kraft’s private checking account, to the tune of a cool $3.5 million. He final dipped into his funds in late Could, by placing $2 million towards his marketing campaign.
“Josh is investing more in this campaign because he believes in the momentum we’ve built,” Kraft marketing campaign spokesman Max Baker mentioned in a press release. “The joy from voters is obvious: they need authorities that’s extra clear, that listens to them, and never solely works for them, however works with them.
“Josh is committed to carrying that energy into the preliminary on Tuesday and looks forward to delivering for the residents of Boston,” Baker added.
Previous to Wednesday’s submitting, Kraft had simply $147,740 money available, after spending practically $1.9 million on his marketing campaign in July, per OCPF information.
His $3.5 million private contribution, when coupled with roughly $30,000 in political donations and practically $2.4 million in marketing campaign spending final month, brings his money available to simply shy of $1.3 million, per OCPF information.
By comparability, Mayor Michelle Wu has $2.42 million money available, after elevating $247,321 and spending $303,945 final month, based on her newest OCPF submitting, which was additionally made on Wednesday.
Kraft has beforehand spoken about the necessity to hold tempo with the “power of incumbency,” by way of why he’s put hundreds of thousands of {dollars} towards his marketing campaign. He mentioned he’s had simply months to lift cash, since launching his marketing campaign in February, in comparison with Wu, who he mentioned “has had four years to raise money.”
“While Mayor Wu appears to be running her campaign out of City Hall, I have a fully staffed campaign team, including a campaign headquarters in Nubian Square,” Kraft mentioned in Could, including on the time that “a modern campaign that includes a strong and robust field organization requires more resources than I can raise in such a short time.”
Kraft has declined so far to launch his 2024 tax return, however monetary data launched by his marketing campaign final month revealed that he reported $6.3 million in earnings final 12 months.
His marketing campaign has mentioned that his earnings got here from “salary, interest, dividends, and gains,” together with a blind belief that has no management over and is related to the Kraft Group, the corporate owned by his billionaire father.
On a current radio look, Kraft indicated that almost all of his $6.3 million in earnings final 12 months got here from the Kraft Group, regardless of publicly obtainable 990 kinds that present he was not paid a wage in recent times as head of his household’s charitable basis.
Previous to heading the New England Patriots Basis, Kraft drew a roughly $350,000 wage as head of the Boys and Women Golf equipment of Boston in fiscal 12 months 2020, based on publicly obtainable 990 kinds.
His father, Robert Kraft, has a web value of $11.8 billion.
The Wu marketing campaign accused the Kraft household of attempting to purchase Josh Kraft a job, in response to his newest private marketing campaign contribution.
“It’s more clear than ever: Josh Kraft is relying on his inherited wealth — and the support of Trump donors, millionaires, and billionaires — to prop up his floundering campaign,” the Wu marketing campaign mentioned Thursday in a press release. “But our city is not for sale, and Bostonians will not back down from making progress and continuing to move forward in this critical moment.”
