These are the billionaires helping fund all those ads for McGrath and Barr

Democratic candidate Amy McGrath continues to raise more money than U.S. Rep. Andy Barr in the final weeks of their campaign to win Central Kentucky’s Sixth Congressional District.

McGrath brought in $1.1 million between October 1 and October 17 and had $1.6 million left on hand for the final two weeks of the campaign, according to reports with the Federal Election Commision. Barr raised $425,028 in the same period and has $872,018 on hand.

McGrath has raised $7.8 million over the course of the campaign while Barr has raised $4.8 million. Independent candidates Rikka Wallin and James Germalic and Libertarian candidate Frank Harris have run limited campaigns and have not reported raising any money.

But the money, and the ads they buy in the district, aren’t just coming from the candidates’ campaigns. Much of it is being financed by the outside groups who support the candidates.

Here’s a look at some of the biggest donors backing five political action committees that have combined to spend more than $5 million on the race.

Congressional Leadership Fund (Supports Barr)

The Congressional Leadership Fund has had the most influence of any outside group in the 19-county district. The Republican Super PAC is affiliated with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, and set up shop in Kentucky early in the race.

For months, the group has poured ad money into television stations and their volunteers have made phone calls to potential voters from a nondescript office building in Lexington in a room decorated with homemade posters celebrating Barr. Over the summer, the group spent more money on television ads in the district than Barr’s campaign.

The largest donor to the group this cycle has been casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam. Both donated $15 million. The Adelsons were initially reluctant supporters of Trump in the 2016 Presidential campaign, but have become enthusiastic supporters as he’s fulfilled their desire to see the U.S. Embassy in Isreal moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

They were joined by Timothy Mellon, the chairman and majority owner of Pan Am systems. Mellon gave $10 million. The Chevron Group gave the largest donation by a corporation, at $1.9 million.

Not all of the group’s donations can be tracked. More than $25 million came from a “dark money” group called the American Action Network. The American Action Network is a 501C non-profit and therefore doesn’t have to disclose its donors.

The Congressional Leadership Fund has raised $126.5 million this election cycle, according to the Federal Elections Commission, and had spent $2.8 million in the Sixth Congressional District through October 25, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

VoteVets (Supports McGrath)

This Democrat-supporting political action committee has made their presence felt with mailings, and whenever there’s been a controversy over McGrath’s military service.

When Lexington Mayor Jim Gray put out an ad attacking the fact that McGrath had recently moved to the district, Jon Soltz, the chairman and co-founder of the PAC, called it an attack on her military service. When a group of veterans said they would petition to remove McGrath from the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame, Soltz called it “a political stunt.”

Some of the group’s funding comes from the national Democratic Party. The House Majority PAC, a group that aims to help Democrats win control of the House of Representatives, donated $514,425. The Senate Majority PAC donated $346,476.

The Committee for Hispanic Causes donated $127,000 and the United Mine Workers donated $75,000.

VoteVets has raised $11.1 million this cycle, according to the Federal Elections Commission, and had spent $194,077 in the district through October 25, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

With Honor (Supports McGrath)

With Honor caught the attention of Barr during the campaign with an attack ad about his support of the payday loan industry and their political contributions to his campaign. Barr sent a letter to TV stations asking them to remove the ad from the air because he said it contained false information. The group also criticized Barr for comparing his legislative service to McGrath’s military service.

The group is funded, in part, with large donations from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his family. Bezos gave $10.1 million and his family members gave an additional $2 million. They were joined by Les and Abagail Wexler from New Albany, Ohio. Les Wexner founded L Brands, which owns Victoria’s Secret and Bath and Body Works among other companies. He and his wife donated $2.8 million.

With Honor has raised $18.5 million this election cycle, according to the Federal Elections Commission, and had spent $989,040 in the district through October 25, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

House Majority PAC (Supports McGrath)

Along with giving to VoteVets and With Honor, the House Majority PAC has invested some of its money in television commercials bashing Barr.

The largest contributions for the House Majority PAC, which is fundraising arm of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, come from a group of businessmen. Donald Sussman, a financier who sits on the board of directors of investigative reporting outlet ProPublica, donated $4.75 million. Fred Eychaner, chairman of the Newsweb Corporation, donated $4 million. George Marcus, a real estate broker, gave $3.5 million.

Working for Americans, a building trade union, donated $6 million.

House Majority PAC has raised $66.3 million, according to the Federal Elections Commission, and had spent $520,526 in the district through October 25, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

National Association of Realtors (Supports Barr)

The National Association of Realtors has sent several mailers to people in Kentucky urging them to vote for Barr.

Barr serves on the House Finance Committee, which has a say over lending regulations and can make it easier or more difficult for people to get the loans necessary to purchase homes.

The realtors PAC is mostly funded by realtors and realty groups around the country. The biggest contribution to their Super PAC came from their qualified PAC, which can only accept a maximum donation of $10,000.

The National Associations of Realtors has raised $11 million and spent $734,827 in the district through October 25, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

This story was originally published October 26, 2018 at 11:26 AM.