Trump's efforts got a major lift from a small group of wealthy donors who contributed as much as $449,400 each to Trump Victory, the biggest amount ever solicited by such a committee. Such super-sized checks are now possible thanks to a 2014 Supreme Court decision, along with a measure tucked into a spending bill later that year that loosened party fundraising rules.

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Trump's first round of fundraising in conjunction with the Republican National Committee shows how lucrative it is to turn to the uber-rich for support. But it also illustrates how dependent it makes the real estate developer on the party, which gets to pocket the lion's share of the big-money contributions.

Thirteen supporters gave Trump Victory the $449,400 maximum. They included Dallas banker Andy Beal, whose banks have loaned Trump hundreds of millions; billionaire technology entrepreneur Darwin Deason and his wife, Katerina; Palm Beach developer E. Llwyd Ecclestone and his wife, Diana; New York conservative benefactor Rebekah Mercer; Laura Perlmutter, who is married to Marvel Entertainment chief executive Isaac Perlmutter; San Diego real estate developer Doug Manchester and his wife, Geniya; and Las Vegas casino mogul Phil Ruffin, a close friend of Trump who is set to speak at the Republican National Convention.

Most of the money they donate is allotted for the RNC, which received a $10.1 million transfer from the committee. But not all of that money can be used freely. More than $4 million was earmarked for the party's convention and legal accounts — funds that cannot be used to pay for the RNC's political efforts on the ground. An additional $1.5 million was raised for the RNC's "headquarters" account, which party officials plan to use to help finance field offices around the country.

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Trump Victory raised $25.7 million in all during the second quarter of the year, while a second joint fundraising committee called Trump Make America Great Again brought in $6.7 million, new campaign finance filings show. The Trump campaign, which can only accept donations of up to $5,400 per person, announced earlier this month that it had brought in $19.9 million in direct donations in June, while Trump personally contributed another $3.8 million. Trump Victory transferred $2.2 million to the campaign, meaning his committee brought in roughly $26 million in June.