Paul Ryan brings in massive fundraising haul

by Jonathan Swan - 10/14/16 8:23 AM ET

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is proving to be a fundraising powerhouse, hauling in more than $48 million so far this year, according to his team.

The Speaker’s national fundraising operation, Team Ryan, announced Friday it had raised $15.4 million in the most recent fundraising quarter, ending in September.

{mosads}Ryan told his colleagues in a conference call this week he’s laser-focused on defending the Republican majority in the House.

He also said he won’t be defending Donald Trump or campaigning alongside the GOP presidential nominee from here until Election Day.

While Ryan angered some of his colleagues by effectively abandoning Trump — though Ryan still hasn’t withdrawn his endorsement — his impressive fundraising on their behalf is likely to soothe some of those tensions.

Since being elected Speaker in October 2015, Ryan’s joint fundraising account has transferred more than $31 million to the committee that helps finance the campaigns of House Republicans, according to Ryan’s team.

This money is crucial as Trump’s drop in polling is throwing a number of Republican House seats into peril and is even causing some GOP strategists to fret that further cratering at the top of the ticket could put the majority itself at risk.

Kevin Seifert, the executive director of Team Ryan, said in a statement Friday that “few expected” Ryan’s policy-centered approach to “resonate so successfully with supporters across the country.”

“He’s provided a clear agenda for the Republican Party,” Seifert added, “and it has made a big difference for our members and candidates.”

Tags Donald Trump Paul Ryan