Donald Trump has boldly touted his independence from big donors, in June proclaiming “I’m using my own money” during his presidential announcement speech, and holding forth his multi-billion-dollar net worth as proof that he can’t be bought by the “special interests” that bankroll — and “control” — the campaigns of his rivals.

But even as Trump publicly scorned other candidates’ use of super PACs, he tacitly gave approval to the Make America Great Again PAC by attending a fundraiser the group held in New York last month.


Trump spoke for between 10 and 15 minutes at the mid-July fundraiser, where about 200 people packed into a private residence in Manhattan.

“It was a combination of friends that have known Mr. Trump for years while others were meeting him for the first time,” said Mike Ciletti, a consultant for the Make America Great Again PAC, one of five known pro-Trump super PACs.

Asked about the event, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski initially told POLITICO on Thursday that Trump had not attended any PAC fundraisers “to my knowledge.”

However, on Friday a campaign spokeswoman confirmed that Trump did attend, and forwarded a message from the Republican presidential candidate.

“There are so many people wanting to contribute and I am so grateful for their support. I appreciate the moral investment in my vision to Make America Great Again,” Trump said in an e-mailed statement to POLITICO Friday.

And just as his rivals have received cash from their well-heeled relatives (Jeb Bush’s brother, former President George W. Bush, gave $95,000 to his super PAC, while his father, former President George H.W. Bush, gave $125,000), Trump has received money from his familial connections.

The in-laws of Trump’s daughter Ivanka, Charles and Seryl Kushner, donated $100,000 to the Make America Great Again PAC, a source close to the Kushner family confirmed. The source said it was “entirely unsolicited and meant as a sign of support for the Trump candidacy.”

Trump’s previously unreported appearance at a PAC fundraiser is striking, given his frequent criticism of the role of PACs in other candidates’ campaigns.

“Every single person that gave every single dollar is expecting something for that money, every single person. And that’s not good for the country,” Trump said on MSNBC last month of Jeb Bush’s early PAC fundraising.

He added, “Somebody that’s reliant on all of these lobbyists and special interests and donors, they have no power to make a decision, because they feel obligated to all these people.”

On Sunday, he further opened the door to big donor money, saying he would consider taking some sizable contributions for his campaign — so long as there are no strings attached.

“We have a lot of small contributors. I would even take big contributors, as long as they don’t expect anything,” Trump said in a phone interview with host John Dickerson on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Trump’s prior disavowal of traditional fundraising started from day one of his unexpectedly influential campaign, when he proclaimed during his announcement speech on June 16 that he would self-finance his run.

“I’m using my own money. I’m not using the lobbyists. I’m not using donors. I don’t care. I’m really rich,” Trump said.

The real estate mogul and reality TV star has upended the Republican presidential race, and soared to the top of national polls with his loud-mouthed, anti-Washington rhetoric. While critics expected him to flame out quickly, he has endured numerous controversies of his own making (calling Mexican immigrants “rapists,” questioning John McCain’s war hero status, and crudely attacking Fox New host Megyn Kelly), and has his rivals stumbling over how to respond.

He also has surprised many by taking the formal steps of a presidential campaign, including filing a financial disclosure that lifted the veil on what he claims is his ten-billion-dollar wealth. While it was not possible to glean his actual net worth from the documents, they provided an unprecedented look at his business empire that ranges from golf courses to beauty pageants to beverage companies, all with the bold stamp of Trump.

According to a separate filing with the Federal Election Commission, Trump had raised $1.9 million as of June 30, with $1.8 million of that coming from a loan Trump extended to the campaign.

One day after that fundraising mark, on July 1, Jonathan Anderson, a lawyer for the Denver firm Holland & Hart, filed with the FEC to start the Make America Great Again super PAC.

“America is trapped in a dangerous spiral of overregulation that is stifling the American spirit and causing our country to fall further behind every day,” the group’s founders said in a statement. “Today America requires proven and successful leaders who will return our country to excellence. Make America Great Again is supporting leaders who will answer that charge, including Donald Trump.”

Besides Trump’s appearance at the fundraiser last month, it’s not clear the extent of the ties between Trump and the five super PACs that have popped up to support his outlandish run for the White House. None appear to be run by former Trump aides or close associates, unlike some of the groups supporting other candidates

Ciletti, who said he is a consultant for the Make America Great Again PAC but declined to further elaborate on his role, previously worked on Sen. Cory Gardner’s (R-Colo.) 2010 campaign for the House and a boutique public affairs firm in Colorado.

The Trump campaign said the candidate and his family members are not actively soliciting donations but are happy to accept them.

“Any and all donations to either the Donald J. Trump for President campaign or Super PACs looking to support Mr. Trump as the front runner for the Republican nomination are greatly appreciated, but totally unsolicited,” a campaign spokeswoman said Friday.

On the trail, though, Trump says he’s turning money away: “I’ve got a lot of money. I don’t need people funding me, like the other candidates,” Trump said in New Hampshire on Wednesday. “I have people coming up all the time, wanting to give me millions of dollars— $5 million last week I turned down, from one man! I said, ‘I don’t want your money,’ and I think that resonates with people.”