Morrisey raises $1.6M, repays a $408K loan to himself

By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV

Campaign finance reports filed by Patrick Morrisey, the Republican nominee for governor, show that he raised $1.6 million in the final weeks of his primary campaign and the months that followed his victory. $408,000 of that total amount was disbursed to Morrisey himself as repayment for loans he made to his own campaign.

Morrisey reported $1.6 million in contributions, $1.8 million in expenses, and still has more than $1 million remaining in his campaign coffers for the general election. 

His opponent in the fall, who won the uncontested Democratic primary election, Steve Williams, reported $76,000 in contributions, $23,000 in expenses, and has more than $53,000 available to spend still. 

After serving as Attorney General for three terms following a multi-year legal and lobbying career in Washington, DC, Morrisey now hopes to move into a new office in the state capitol currently held by Governor Jim Justice. 

Morrisey outraised his primary opponents Moore Capito, Chris Miller, and Mac Warner on his way to winning the Republican nomination for governor. He received a plurality of votes cast, garnering 33% of the total vote. 

Who donated to Morrisey’s campaign?

Of the $5.3 million raised by Morrisey over the course of the entire race, approximately 10% of the total amount came from inside West Virginia. The remaining 90% of the total dollars were not reported by the campaign in terms of their origin, but records appear to show that they came from outside the state. Notable donors include:

• Robert Mercer (hedge fund billionaire)
• Harlan Crow (TX real estate developer, recently tied to gifts given to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas)
• James Laurita (coal executive who faced campaign fraud charges)
• Fausto Diaz (Miami businessman convicted of fraud and tax evasion in 1999)
• Astellas Pharmaceutical PAC
• Gun Owners of America’s Political Victory Fund
• Elbert Lin (former Solicitor General for WV)
• Conrad Lucas (lobbyist and former chair of the WVGOP)
• Marlene Moss (lobbyist and anti-vaccine activist)
• John Bryan (attorney who has sued Governor Justice several times, known as The Civil Rights Lawyer)
• Atanasio Panousopoulos (CEO of a produce company called Delta Fresh, whose father was indicted earlier this year for providing political bribes in Nogales, Arizona, a border town)
• Selman Akinci (Turkish-American who lives in California and runs a travel reimbursement company called Click 2 Refund) 
• Bob Castellini, (CEO and majority owner of the Cincinnati Reds)
• Bill Doddridge (runs a diamond import company in California as well as a pro-Trump political action committee)
• Krista Frost (a “homemaker” and a Georgia delegate to the 2020 Republican National Convention)
• Scott Watson (marina owner from Palm City, FL). 
• Must Act to Create Excellence PAC (associated with Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina)

Morrisey’s reports also list hundreds of small donors who are reported to have given 5-7 donations per day on multiple days, ranging in amount from $1 to $5 each, for example. They appear to be from all over the world.

Loan repayments after the primary

Following Morrisey’s victory in the May primary, he continued to raise funds at a rapid rate after the election was over. In total, he raised $408,000 for the “primary election” after it concluded. This is according to reports he filed with the WV Secretary of State’s (WVSOS) office in the months that followed his win. 

The list of donors who gave to the primary race after it concluded contains a significant number of well-known political figures within West Virginia, many of whom supported Moore Capito rather than Morrisey. The list includes business leaders, board members, elected officials, lobbyists and gubernatorial appointees.

According to officials within the WVSOS who spoke to RealWV on background, contributions for the primary race may be accepted after the race is over only if they go towards expenses incurred during the primary. 

Morrisey’s report shows that the $408,000 in primary donations received after the primary election went to Morrisey himself. He was repaid by the campaign for loans he had previously made to his own campaign. Such expenses are allowable by law. 

RealWV reached out to the Morrisey campaign to ask about the second quarter campaign finance report. In response, the campaign said that they hire a compliance firm and lawyers to ensure they are acting within the scope of campaign finance law. 

“Morrisey’s record-breaking fundraising numbers tell all: He will be West Virginia’s next governor,” said Jonathan Ewing, Campaign Manager. “We are grateful for the support of so many West Virginians and for the fact that we have raised more money in West Virginia than any other candidate.” 

“I’m humbled by the outpouring of support my campaign has received,” Patrick Morrisey said. “West Virginians are excited to elect an America First governor, who will protect and create jobs, increase our state’s educational attainment, and put West Virginia on the map for business and opportunity while preserving our state’s values.”