A former Mitt Romney aide is one of a small number of Romney insiders that have embraced Donald Trump’s candidacy. | AP Photo Ex-Romney CFO to administer Trump-RNC fundraising committees

Mitt Romney’s top finance aide from 2012 has been selected to be treasurer of two joint fundraising committees for Donald Trump, the Republican National Committee and nearly a dozen state Republican parties.

Brad Crate, whose firm Red Curve Solutions has been providing “compliance and treasury services” to the Trump campaign, will administer the two committees — Trump Victory and the Trump Make America Great Again Committee.


The committees empower Trump to raise money for the RNC and provide an outlet for large donors to deliver close to $450,000 apiece by maxing out to the two committees. Trump Victory includes agreements to help raise money for the GOP in 11 states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming. Trump Make America Great Again Committee includes only Trump and the RNC.

Crate is a veteran of Romney’s two presidential campaigns and his stint as governor of Massachusetts. He also helmed Romney’s joint fundraising committee in 2012, Romney Victory, administering accounts that spent an estimated $1 billion. He’s written op-eds about the importance of preventing embezzlement by campaign officials by ensuring enough checks and balances are in place. The former JP Morgan trader began his political work on Mitt Romney’s 2006 gubernatorial run.

Crate is one of a small number of Romney insiders that have embraced Trump’s candidacy. Romney himself is a vocal critic of Trump and has refused to align with him even after his opponents bowed out of the race.