Inside the $45M financial mystery behind the RNC's "midterm convention"

 Inside the $45M financial mystery behind the RNC's "midterm convention"

• OpenSecrets 

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  Thu, Sep 3 2026 at 10:01 AM

  SEPTEMBER 3, 2026 Republicans are headed to Dallas next week for a two-day gathering that some are calling a midterm convention, while others refer to it as a rally or a fundraiser. But that's not the only known unknown: We don't know who is paying for the event or what it costs. Also in this newsletter: In time for Labor Day, we break down organized labor's recent political spending. Seven of the 10 most generous leadership PACs this cycle benefit Republicans. RNC’s ‘Trumpapalooza’ convention has many names, one big question: Who’s paying for it? The Republican National Committee is promoting its September gathering in Dallas as a midterm convention. But other GOP organizations are pitching it as a rally or a fundraiser. That lack of clarity reflects a broader pattern: Straightforward questions have produced few straight answers. Joedy McCreary has been digging into the records to try to unravel the mysteries surrounding the event. With no official business or a presidential nomination on the agenda, the RNC cannot use its convention account to pay for the event. So where is the money coming from? Even the cost of attending seems to be loosely controlled. Various party organizations are offering tickets at various tiers, seemingly without coordinating with one another. Even though we know the gathering is being held at the American Airlines Center, details about the cost of renting the space – and even who is paying for it – remain hidden. Read More Beyond Labor Day: How unions’ political power extends year-round Americans will mark Labor Day on Sept. 7. But organized labor’s political impact is felt every day in Washington. OpenSecrets data studied by Jonathan Salant shows that organized labor set a record for lobbying expenditures last year – spending $58 million trying to influence the federal government – after doling out $288 million in election-related spending in 2023-24. “It’s expensive to play in American politics right now, and if you want to be at that table, you’re going to have to put out resources and more resources than ever,” said Christopher Borick, a political science professor at Lehigh University. “Organized labor is not immune to that reality. If you want to keep your place at the table, which they do, that means raising historic amounts of money.” Read More Dive into the data: Labor sector lobbying Labor sector election contributions Chart of the week Senior Republicans have given out the most money from leadership PACs Last week, we reported that Republicans have distributed more from leadership PACs than Democrats have handed out, with a few months remaining in the election cycle. This week, we look at which lawmakers have given out the most money from their political action committees. Politicians use leadership PACs to build support for their own ambitions by distributing money to colleagues’ campaigns. Given that GOP leadership PACs have handed out $34.9 million to candidates, compared to Democrats’ $24.2 million in contributions, it’s no surprise that individual Republicans dominate the list of top 20 donors.  As of June 30, only two leadership PACs have given out more than $1 million: Speaker Mike Johnson’s American Revival PAC has distributed $1.2 million and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s Eye of the Tiger PAC has handed out $1.1 million. The two Louisiana Republicans are followed by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. His Buckeye Liberty PAC has given $900,000 to Republican candidates. House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (Mass.) is the top Democrat on the list. Her Fair Shot PAC has distributed $882,000 so far. Republicans account for 12 of the top 20 spots on the list, including seven of the top 10. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), the most powerful Democrat in the chamber, is ninth with $720,000 given out. Only two senators cracked the top 20, and just barely. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who has given out $378,500 through his Purpose PAC, is 17th. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) has given out $358,500 through his Liftoff PAC, good for 19th place. What else we’re reading Millions of Dollars in Secret Spending Could Upend the 2026 Midterms (The New York Times) DNC votes down 'dark money' resolution singling out AIPAC, defers resolution on military aid to Israel (The New York Times) The data center backlash is here — and Big Tech is spending big to combat it (CalMatters) Republicans bring TV ad rate war to Supreme Court (Courthouse News Service) Read More OpenSecrets in the News See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week: Inside Politics With Manu Raju (CNN) "I want to ask you about one thing your primary opponent has been hitting you on, which is your ties to the pro-israel lobby AIPAC. And this cycle alone, OpenSecrets has calculated that you've received more than $200,000 from AIPAC and related groups and people." Flock becomes a campaign issue in Nevada (The Nevada Independent) Flock has poured at least $2 million into federal and state lobbying since 2025, according to the nonpartisan research group Open Secrets. Though lobbyist compensation data isn't publicly available in Nevada, Flock Safety hired four lobbyists in the state during the 2025 legislative session, according to a list of registered lobbyists. The company advocated for a bill that year revising how law enforcement purchases drone technology. Who the Hell Is Paying for Republicans’ Midterm “Trump-a-Palooza”? (The New Republic) An OpenSecrets investigation published Tuesday found that the Dallas 2026 Host Committee shares an address with Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC formed in 2022 to back Donald Trump and his endorsed candidates. Fact check: Abdul El-Sayed attacks Mike Rogers over pharma industry ties (Bridge Michigan) During his 2024 run for Senate, Rogers received about $73,276 from donors connected to the pharmaceutical manufacturing, pharmaceutical wholesale, pharmacists or biotech product and research sectors, according to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks money in politics. Texas Senate race could become nation's most expensive as Democrats eye upset (The National Desk) OpenSecrets, a research organization tracking money in politics, shows Talarico with a direct fundraising advantage over Paxton this cycle. However, OpenSecrets director of insights Brendan Glavin said the big outside money has yet to start flowing into Texas. Glavin also expressed skepticism that spending in Texas will rise above some other key races like Maine, Michigan and even Iowa.  See More