• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

9 Things We Learned From Trump’s Campaign Finance Report

By
Mark Gimein
Mark Gimein
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Mark Gimein
Mark Gimein
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 23, 2016, 7:00 PM ET
Donald Trump Hosts Nevada Caucus Night Watch Party In Las Vegas
Photograph by Ethan Miller Getty Images
This article was originally published on Money.com.
The presidential campaigns filed their latest financial disclosures this week, showing Hillary Clinton is beating Donald Trump handily in the money race. Trump spent some of the week trying to show he can catch up, with his first public pleas for funds.
We’ve combed through the campaign expenditures. That’s one of the best ways of understanding how a modern campaign works. That might be especially true of the Trump disclosures, which turn up interesting news–such as the cost of hats and Facebook (FB) ads–that might not show up in bigger campaigns that outsource some functions to specialists. And the disclosures keep turning up surprises, like the cost of hotels (higher than you’d think for Trump’s lean campaign) and wine.

• The Trump campaign is just as hands on with social media as you’d imagine. The May report shows $79,717.60 in spending on Facebook ads during the month. That seems to be done in-house. The Clinton campaign has no similar line on its report. It’s likely that the campaign has spent money to boost Facebook posts, but that’s probably done through outside ad experts. (The Clinton campaign did not respond to an email asking for clarification).

READ:Donald Trump Forgives $50 Million in Campaign Loans

• Those emblematic Trump hats cost real money. Trump reports spending $207,868.13 on hats in May (yes, they are indeed made in America). That’s only a part of what Trump has spent on various sale items and giveaways. There’s another $694,000 on mugs, t-shirts and the like. Overall, that’s more than $900,000, or 13 percent of Trump’s May spending — surely the highest share of any presidential campaign spent on this kind of stuff. That said, selling hats has never been a key presidential fundraising tool before Trump.

• Every kind of fundraising, with or without hats, is expensive.The Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) calculated that in the 2012 election cycle the Barack Obama and Mitt Romney campaigns spent $1.3 billion between them. Of this, $179 million, or 12.8 percent went to fundraising. If the Trump hats were his campaign’s only fundraising expense, they’d be par for the course.

• Advertising is far and away the biggest campaign cost.According to the CRP’s OpenSecrets.org, of the 2012 Romney and Obama spending, $763 million went to ads. The bulk of that went to television, though at least $94 million went to web ads.

• On broadcast spending, it makes sense for candidates not to rely on parties and political action committees. Super-PACs, which spend money to elect a candidate but are not technically part of the campaign have many fewer restrictions on raising funds. But candidates are entitled by law to the lowest broadcast advertising rates. This makes a big difference in tight media markets. In the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries, Super-PACs had to spend much more to buy the same ads.

• There are some strange, and potentially unnerving recipients of campaign cash. On the Trump side, the May finance report shows $35,000 in expenditure for web advertising to a firm called “Draper Sterling” the name of two of the principals in the Mad Men television series. According to reports in Gawker and Think Progress, it’s hard to determine just what this firm actually does. Meanwhile, on the Clinton side, there are payments of $73,452 to Clinton Executive Services Corporation. That’s a company set up, apparently, to manage technology for the Clintons. If the name sounds a bit familiar, it’s because the same company also paid the bills for Hillary Clinton’s infamous private mail server.

• It’s not clear that Trump’s lean operation really is more efficient. Take hotels. In May, the Clinton campaign, with a paid staff of reportedly around 700, spent $283,000 on what we could identify as hotels (that includes all the bookings on Expedia.com. The Trump campaign, meanwhile, spent about $252,000, not much less — and surprising considering his campaign staff is only a tenth the size of Clinton’s.

• How money gets spent is a source of tension between campaigns and the national parties. Insiders who are used to navigating the party system take in a lot of money from campaigns. Often the parties want candidates to work with experts and vendors they know, and effectively make it a condition for Congressional candidates to get party funds.

• The ultimate insider is the candidate with the outsider campaign: Trump. As many outlets have reported, 20 percent of Trump’s spending went to his own properties. That includes a whopping $423,371.70 to rent Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida resort, and about $13,000 to his son’s winery. Trump has paid most of these bills out of his own pocket. But so far he’s called that a loan. Donors will be looking at whether Trump ultimately foots the bill, because even active supporters aren’t eager to help Trump turn a profit on his campaign.

About the Author
By Mark Gimein
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

How Grab’s CTO sees the superapp’s push into physical AI and automated driving—and why he uses his competitors’ robots in the office
AITransportation
How Grab’s CTO sees the superapp’s push into physical AI and automated driving—and why he uses his competitors’ robots in the office
By Angelica AngMay 22, 2026
5 hours ago
Trump AI and crpto czar David Sacks sits next to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a dinner table in the White House as Zuckerberg turns to Sacks and says something.
AIAmerican Politics
Tech billionaires convinced Trump to back off an AI executive order. But much of MAGA favors AI regulation
By Jeremy KahnMay 22, 2026
5 hours ago
James Daunt sits in a booksop, gesturing with both hands and smiling.
AIbooks
Barnes & Noble CEO clarifies the bookseller’s stance on AI-written books after refusing to ban them: ‘This is a straightforward rejection of AI books’
By Sasha RogelbergMay 22, 2026
7 hours ago
A photo taken during the Maroon Bells bicycle ride during Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2019 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo: Fortune)
InnovationBrainstorm Tech
Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026 will be brilliant
By Andrew NuscaMay 22, 2026
8 hours ago
Beyond the diploma: Skills that actually get graduates hired
Future of WorkWorkplace Innovation Summit
Beyond the diploma: Skills that actually get graduates hired
By Ashley LutzMay 22, 2026
9 hours ago
satya nadella
AITech
Microsoft reports are exposing AI’s real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
By Jake AngeloMay 22, 2026
9 hours ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
1 day ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
2 days ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
3 days ago
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
Workplace Culture
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
2 days ago
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
Success
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
By Emma BurleighMay 22, 2026
10 hours ago
McKinsey partner says up to 50% of work hours could be transformed within the next 5 years
AI
McKinsey partner says up to 50% of work hours could be transformed within the next 5 years
By Emma BurleighMay 21, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.