By Melanie Mason, Tribune Washington Bureau –
WASHINGTON — The Romney campaign added two noteworthy names to the donor rolls this week: Ann and Mitt Romney.
The couple donated a combined $150,000 this week to the Romney Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee established last month that collects cash for the Romney campaign, the Republican National Committee and several state political parties.
The donation was first reported by CNN and was confirmed to the Tribune Washington Bureau/Los Angeles Times by a Romney aide. The campaign declined to detail why the Romneys chose to pony up to the campaign now.
It is the first time this cycle that the former Massachusetts governor has poured his own money into his campaign coffers. But he has not been averse to self-funding in the past. In 2008, Romney gave his campaign $44.6 million — 42 percent of the $107 million he raised in all, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
Candidates are not bound by individual contribution limits, and can put unlimited resources into their political bid.
Compared with Romney’s extensive underwriting of his 2008 race, the $150,000 check appears downright paltry. But it is enough to rank the couple as a “Founding Member” — the top tier of campaign givers, according to a booklet sent Friday to potential Romney givers. The document, first reported by Politico, lists the perks available to the campaign’s biggest donors and fundraisers. Fellow “Founding Members” — couples that contribute at least $100,000 to the campaign — can enjoy exclusive access at the Republican National Convention and a summer retreat in Park City, Utah.
