What we know about funding for Trump’s Dallas convention

Republicans have held national conventions for generations, but not one quite like the gathering President Donald Trump is leading next month in Dallas.

It’s being set up as a midterm convention and rally Sept. 9-10 at the American Airlines Center to promote Trump’s policies and GOP candidates before the November elections. 

The event promises to have all the trappings of a political convention but will not nominate a presidential ticket or conduct formal party business, leaving questions about what financing information will be disclosed.

What’s known about the money behind the event – and what’s not:

The Dallas Host Committee, a private nonprofit created to support the event, said last week it raised $45 million in private donations in less than a month from individuals and companies, in Texas and across the country. 

Ray Washburne, a Dallas developer and committee co-chair, has not said whether the total represents money already collected, pledges awaiting payment or both.

The committee said the money will help promote Dallas, support local businesses, reduce local government costs and put on a safe event. It has not said how much will go toward each purpose or released a detailed spending plan.

That is unknown. City officials plan to track convention-related expenses, but neither the city nor the committee has said whether private contributions will cover all police, security, transportation and other public costs.

Yes. Officials said Dallas expects reimbursement, but have not identified who would pay, how much the city could recover or whether taxpayers could be left with part of the bill.

The committee said it will not disclose the donors now, and it remains unclear whether they must do so after the event. 

Host committees for presidential nominating conventions generally do not release donor lists before the event. But they must register with the Federal Election Commission and report their receipts and spending, including donors giving more than $200, in a postconvention report.

Washburne said last week that the Dallas committee had registered with the FEC, although it does not appear in the agency’s public database. Because the Dallas event will not nominate a presidential ticket, it remains unclear which federal rules apply.

Andrew Cates, a San Antonio attorney who specializes in legislative and campaign law, said FEC registration likely would require the committee to disclose donor information after the convention.

The FEC, contacted by The Dallas Morning News, did not specify whether Dallas’ midterm committee would be subject to the same rules as a host committee for a presidential nominating convention.