The well-funded, highly influential pro-Israel lobby goes both ways in political support. In 2013-14, a variety of political action committees gave money to both Democrats and Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan research group that tracks money in politics.

J Street, known for its liberal advocacy, gave away about $1 million in contributions, almost entirely to Democrats, in those two years. It was the biggest PAC donor of that time period. The second-largest donor, NorPAC, a nonpartisan political action committee that supports pro-Israel candidates and politicians, gave $582,531, split between Democratic and Republican candidates. The third largest PAC contributor was the National Action Committee, which gave slightly more of its almost $240,000 to Democrats.

Contributions from the other top 20 pro-Israel PACs were as diverse at the top contributors. A local PAC, the Maryland Association for Concerned Citizens, was listed as the eighth-largest contributor at $118,850, most of which went to Democrats in the 2013-14 cycle.

July filings with the Federal Elections Commission for the PAC list a P.O. box address in Pikesville and list several prominent members of the Baltimore Jewish community as contributors, including three members of the Cordish family, several Caves Valley Partners executives, political fundraiser Josh Fidler, Glenn and Joseph Weinberg, Harvey Meyerhoff and Mark Neumann, chairman of the board of The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore.

The PAC’s largest contributions include $2,500 to Aimee Belgard, a Democratic congressional candidate for New Jersey’s 3rd District; $5,000 to Bob Goodlatte, a Republican congressman for Virginia’s 6th District; $2,500 Bruce Braley, an Iowa Democratic congressman running for the Senate; $2,500 to Gary Peters, a Michigan Democratic congressman running for the Senate; and Brad Schneider, a Democratic congressman in Illinois’ 10th District.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Schneider is the sixth-ranking recipient of the pro-Israel lobby at $190,638 in 2014. The top five (in descending order) are New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, Colorado Democratic Sen. Mark Udall and former Virginia Republican Rep. Eric Cantor.

McConnell and Udall are facing tight re-election battles this year, and Cantor lost to a relatively unknown Republican in this summer’s Virginia primary, forcing him to abandon the post of House majority leader. Graham and Booker and considered shoo-ins for re-election.

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