John Boehner retired from Congress last fall. | Getty Boehner plans slate of fundraisers this year The former speaker has receded from the spotlight but is still providing millions to elect House Republicans.

John Boehner has faded behind the scenes since he resigned. Splitting his time between Ohio, D.C. and Florida, the former speaker has avoided television, been spotted periodically around Capitol Hill and downtown Washington and given private speeches to make money.

But Boehner is quietly beginning to rev up his post-speakership political operation, dishing money from his campaign coffers to the party and planning a swing of fundraisers this year to bolster the House GOP.


In December, two months after leaving the speakership, Boehner transferred $1.2 million to the National Republican Congressional Committee; that brought the total amount he funneled to the campaign arm in 2015 to a whopping $8 million. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) donated half as much to the NRCC over the same period of time. Boehner also gave $800,000 directly to members in 2015.

And Boehner, who famously traveled nonstop for his colleagues when he was speaker, is resuming his political fundraising. He recently spoke at a fundraiser for freshman Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) in Florida. And this spring, he has three fundraisers already scheduled, including one appearance on behalf of North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx, a former member of Boehner’s House Republican leadership team.

"He's kept a low profile publicly since leaving office, but his interest in supporting the team and the cause continues,” said David Schnittger, a longtime Boehner insider who serves as his spokesman. “It's in his blood."

Boehner will speak at the Butler County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner in Ohio in March, one of his first public political appearances since leaving office.

"Friends of John Boehner," his re-election account, will report $1.6 million cash on hand, which should allow Boehner to be politically active for some time, according to a summary of his filing.