NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is no completestranger to the rat race of Washington. The boy of previous New York senator Charles Ellsworth Goodell Jr., he hasactually taken numerous actions to keep the league and Washington linked, consistingof assisting begin a political action committee, the Gridiron PAC, in 2008.
The committee’s required is to provide solely to federal incumbent officeholders — not guvs, open seats or presidential prospects, according to NFL spokesman Tim Schlittner.
A USA TODAY Sports evaluation of Federal Election Commission filings ahead of Tuesday’s midterms revealed Gridiron PAC invested $729,210.03, primarily on contributions to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Those contributions were split 58.54% to Republicans and 41.46% to Democrats, according to nonpartisan guarddog group Open Secrets.
Here’s what we understand about the NFL’s Gridiron PAC for the 2022 election cycle.
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How are funds raised?
The bulk of funds were raised by a series of optimum $5,000 contributions offered by NFL executives, owners and their household members. For the present two-year cycle, 2021-22, contributions amountedto $814,983.28, according to FEC filings.
During that time, 22 of 32 NFL groups are represented as PAC donors. And some of those groups provided more than others.
Here are some leading factors for this election cycle:
- New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and 5 household members provided a integrated $60,000.
- The household of Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam likewise provided $60,000 overall.
- The Glazer household — owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — gave $40,000 overall.
- The Ford household, owners of the Detroit Lions, integrated with group president and CEO Rod Wood provided $35,000.
- The Mara and Tisch households, who own the New York Giants, likewise provided a integrated $35,000.
It can be hard to identify how much a group contributed without sorting through the filings since contributions come from people, consistingof partners, kids and brotherorsisters of owners. High-level executives with various last names likewise contribute. For example, the Browns contributions consistedof Dee and Jimmy Haslam’s children, Cynthia Arnholt and Whitney Haslam-Johnson, along with their particular partners, David Arnholt and Browns EVP James W. Johnson.
USA TODAY Sports couldn’t find in FEC filings for this election cycle donor representation from the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, New York Jets and Washington Commanders.
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Where does the cash go?
The NFL’s federalgovernment affairs program consistsof a range of triggers, from stadium security to infrastructure, according to Schlittner.
He stated the league focuses its contributions on management, secret committees — Finance, Ways & Means, Energy & Commerce, Judiciary — and House and Senate members with arenas or practice centers in their locations.
“At the minute, we are working with Congress to keep our arenas safe from unapproved drones and to enhance the (Homeland Security) SAFETY Act,” Schlittner stated, including the NFL chooses where the cash goes “with strong input” from owners and the PAC board.
The Gridiron PAC is bipartisan, though contributi