How some WH hopefuls inflate their fundraising success
Associated PressWASHINGTON — Long before ballots are tallied and reliable polls are conducted, one of the earliest ways to gauge the popularity of presidential candidates is with dollars. “It’s a popularity contest by another means.” Case in point is Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and onetime United Nations ambassador who became the first major Republican challenger to Trump in February. But last week, as the deadline loomed to file the first quarterly fundraising reports, Haley’s campaign blasted out a press release touting an $11 million fundraising haul – an impressive number for any candidate in a race that has been dominated by Trump. “In just six weeks, Nikki Haley’s massive fundraising and active retail campaigning in early voting states makes her a force to be reckoned with,” Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankney said in a statement. Trump’s campaign, meanwhile, reported raising more than $18.8 million between his main campaign account and a joint fundraising account over the first three months of the year.