By Austin Alonzo
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. closed out February with access to more than $23.7 million on hand, according to his campaign’s Federal Election Commission filings.
On March 20, both Mr. Kennedy’s principal campaign committee—Team Kennedy—and his allied hybrid political action committee filed their monthly statements covering February with the FEC.
According to the filings, the two bodies collectively brought in about $7.3 million and spent about $11.7 million.
The independent candidate is expected to announce his running mate on March 26 at an event in Oakland, California.
Mr. Kennedy briefly seized the attention of the country when rumors swirled that he would pick New York Jets Quarterback Aaron Rodgers as his running mate.
Other potential picks include former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, TV host Mike Rowe, and Bay Area lawyer, entrepreneur, and investor Nicole Shanahan.
Mr. Kennedy’s campaign also turned heads in February with a multimillion dollar Super Bowl ad that was likely seen by more than 100 million Americans on Feb. 11.
Biggest Donor
While Mr. Kennedy did not get another check from Tim Mellon in February, he did get a significant donation from a financial ally: Gavin de Becker.
In February, Mr. De Becker sent the hybrid PAC $4 million, or most of the money it raised during the month.
Mr. De Becker, who leads private security firm Gavin de Becker and Associates LP, previously told The Epoch Times about his plans to send the money to American Values.
In a February interview, Mr. De Becker told The Epoch Times he’s committed to continue funding the campaign until Mr. Kennedy is elected.
Meanwhile, Mr. De Becker’s security firm continues to provide its services to Mr. Kennedy. Team Kennedy paid the firm about $206,000 in February.
Ballot Access and Facebook
Along with securing the candidate, who has already seen attempts on his person this campaign season, the funds remain focused on ballot access.
According to FEC records, American Values spent about $950,000 on various firms for ballot access services in February. Team Kennedy spent about $7,500.
So far, according to the campaign’s website, the candidate is on the ballot in three states: Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. It’s working to get on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The campaign is continuing its online push, too. According to its FEC filing for the month, Team Kennedy spent about $3.2 million on internet advertising with Meta Platforms’ social media network Facebook in February.
The Kennedy campaign is hoping to appeal to young voters who may not be interested in voting for President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump.
Four major polls conducted in March, asking voters who they’d pick in a full field, including Mr. Kennedy and other independent candidates, presented a wide range of support for Mr. Kennedy.
The highest marks came from a HarrisX poll, which said 15 percent would vote for Mr. Kennedy.
The most pessimistic outlook, from a YouGov PLC poll, indicated that only 2 percent of voters would support the candidate.
