McConnell group to host Super Bowl weekend fundraiser

A joint fundraising committee allied with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is hosting a fundraiser in the Miami area over Super Bowl weekend.

McConnell for Majority Leader, a joint fundraising committee, has scheduled a fundraiser at 4 p.m. Saturday at a “South Beach Miami Location Provided Upon RSVP,” according to an invite obtained by The Hill.

A source said the fundraiser was scheduled “months ago,” and the invite does not say if McConnell, who is in Washington for President Trump’s impeachment trial, will attend. The trial is set for closing arguments on Friday with Republicans aiming to wrap up the trial this week.

Team Mitch and McConnell’s leadership office did not respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

The hourlong event requires a personal contribution of up to $20,600 per individual to the fundraising committee. The $20,600 would be broken up to comply with contribution limits. The first $2,800 from any single individual’s contribution would go to the McConnell Senate Committee primary election account, the next $2,800 to the general election account, the next $10,000 to the Republican Party of Kentucky, and the remaining $5,000 to the Bluegrass Committee, according to the invite.

The event is scheduled the day before Super Bowl LIV, which kicks off at 6:30 pm. Eastern on Sunday, with the Kansas City Chiefs playing the San Francisco 49ers.

Super Bowl weekends are known as a major draw for business executives and have long provided an opportunity for political fundraisers. But this year’s impeachment trial of Trump in the Senate and the impending Iowa caucuses have scrambled the calendar for many lawmakers.

A fundraiser for home state Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) in Miami Beach also slated for this weekend was canceled. The “Super Bowl Brunch Reception with Special Guest Senator Rick Scott” was scheduled for Sunday, with a VIP reception at 10 a.m. and a general reception at 11 a.m., according to an invite obtained by The Hill.

The fundraiser was to be hosted by David MacNeil, the CEO of car accessory company WeatherTech, and Fabrianna Ferrari at a dockside yacht at Fontainebleau. Individual VIP tickets were $5,000, individual general tickets were $2,500.

Organizers for Scott’s event confirmed that the event was canceled.

This year, other lawmakers from Super Bowl teams’ home states don’t have plans to use the big game to raise campaign cash.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), whose district includes the 49ers stadium, will be in Iowa campaigning for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) instead of holding fundraisers around the Super Bowl, his campaign told The Hill.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), whose district is home to the Chiefs’ stadium, is also not holding fundraisers around the Super Bowl, his campaign told The Hill.

The offices of Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who represent states with teams in the game, said the lawmakers are not attending the Super Bowl. The office of Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

Updated at 5 p.m.