Mother Jones’ Andy Kroll takes a closer look at the man behind Winning Women, the political action committee that raised more than $100,000 in March for Republican Martha McSally, who hopes to unseat Democratic Congressman Ron Barber in Southern Arizona’s Congressional District 2 this year:
Paul Singer, the so-called “fundraising terrorist,” is at it again.
The founder of the multibillion-dollar hedge fund Elliott Management, Singer is a Republican mega-donor without peer. He cuts checks to candidates and political committees, mingles at the donor retreats convened by Charles and David Koch, and, more recently, has used his wealth to nudge the Republican Party into the 21st century. He bankrolls a super-PAC that supports pro-gay marriage Republicans, funds pro-immigration reform groups, and recently started his own club of donors, a la the Kochs, to join him in his efforts.
Now, the most recent round of federal campaign filings has revealed a new cause of Singer’s: Winning Women, a fundraising committee devoted to electing more Republican women to Congress and so countering the claim that the GOP is anti-women. Winning Women is funded largely by Singer, employees of his hedge fund, and donors with ties to Singer. In addition, Singer cohosted a fundraiser to help the female GOP candidates backed by Winning Women so far.
The story notes that Elliot Management’s London branch is facing allegations of insider trading in Europe:
The money contributed by Elliott Management’s London branch to Winning Women could raise questions for McSally, Comstock, and Stefanik. Elliott Advisers, run by Paul Singer’s son, Gordon, stands accused of insider trading by a French financial regulator, which is considering whether to fine Elliott Advisers $55 million for market manipulation and trading on inside information regarding a French motorway company called APRR. (Elliott has denied any wrongdoing in the matter.)
This article appears in May 1-7, 2014.
Margaret Thatcher, also known as Reagan’s backbone, was a “woman”…
Curious as to why she runs in AZ. Has she ever lived here? Except for purposes of running for Congress? When asked, she could not name any local supporters….
Sadly, the storyline here is much too complicated for AZ voters to follow. Wing-nut funded by right-wing, “pro-woman” male hedge-fund manager laundering money from his son who got it from brokering inside info on some French roadbuilding outfit? Who’s now being investigated by the French, for godsake? How could these people possibly have found their way to Phoenix, and what could they be doing here? Way, way too hard to think about.