NFL owners have donated around $30million to political parties and causes ahead of this year’s seismic presidential election.
America heads to the polls on Tuesday after a long and bitterly-fought campaign between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Between them, the Republican and Democratic parties have raised more than $1billion to fund their push for power and many significant contributions have come from the gridiron during this election cycle.
According to data, compiled by Front Office Sports, 10 NFL owners have contributed around $25m – between them – to the GOP.
It’s said $20.5m of that came from Broncos owner Rob Walton, the heir to the Walmart empire, who has a net worth of around $100bn.
NFL owners including the Jets’ Woody Johnson have donated money ahead of election day
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are battling it out for the White House on Tuesday
The next biggest donations came from David Tepper (Panthers, $2.9m) and New York Jets owner, Woody Johnson. The former US ambassador to the United Kingdom gave $800,000 to the Republicans, a little more than Browns owner Jimmy Haslam.
Edward Glazer (Buccaneers, $722,000), Mike Bidwill (Cardinals, $120,000), Dean Spanos (Chargers, $100,000), Stephen Ross (Dolphins, $35,000) and Robert Kraft (Patriots) also gave money to the Republican Party.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ($20,000) and Titans chief Amy Adams Strunk ($3,300) made the smallest donations to the GOP, taking the total to $23,104,637.
The Democrats, meanwhile, received only $3,334,900 from NFL owners. Art Rooney ($56,600, Steelers), Ross (Dolphins, $45,000) and Zygi Wilf ($31,600, Vikings) all contributed to the pot.
Broncos owner Rob Walton, the heir to Walmart empire, donated $20.5million to the GOP
Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-owner Avram Glazer gave more than $3.2m to the Democratic Party
By far the biggest contribution, however, came from Avram Glazer. The Buccaneers co-owner has given more than $3.2m to the Democrats – including nearly $2m to Biden and Harris – cancelling out the $772k given to the GOP by his brother Edward.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank, meanwhile, is said to have donated $2m to non-partisan election reform, as well as well as $1.3m to a Harris PAC (political action committee).
There was also reportedly nearly three quarters of a million dollars given by at least 15 NFL owners through the Gridiron PAC.
That money was almost evenly split between the two main parties, with $375,000 going to the GOP and $359,000 to the Democrats.
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