Unknown donor among biggest backers of Doug Burgum super PAC

FARGO — An independent group backing North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s presidential campaign reported more than $11 million in contributions in its first few weeks of operating.

Supporters of the pro-Burgum super PAC “Best of America” include familiar North Dakota names such as hospitality billionaire Gary Tharaldson and the CEOs of Fargo-based R.D. Offutt and Scheels, as well as major investors and business leaders from across the U.S.

Campaign filings with the Federal Election Commission released this week give a look into the biggest early supporters of Burgum’s long-shot 2024 presidential bid. The report covers activity for the first half of 2023, though Best of America only started to operate on June 7 — the official launch day of the Burgum presidential campaign. It lists more than 20 donors, most of whom contributed in the six-figure range or higher.

The three biggest contributors, who chipped in $2 million each, are Burgum’s relative Frederick Burgum, former Abbott Laboratories CEO Miles White, and a company called Farrington Rocket LLC, a Delaware-registered company with little publicly available information.

Incorporation documents do not offer any information about who owns Farrington Rocket, and its address is a firm that provides incorporation services to many companies — a common practice in Delaware, where many businesses register for privacy and taxation purposes.

Best of America did not immediately respond to requests for more information on Farrington Rocket.

Super political action committees, or super PACs, can receive unlimited contributions to finance activities supporting candidates, but they can’t directly coordinate with campaigns.

Best of America is chaired by Tami Reller, a health care executive and Grand Forks native who once worked for Burgum’s company Great Plains Software. She contributed $250,000 to the super PAC, according to FEC filings.

Burgum’s presidential campaign, which is separate from the super PAC, had about $11.7 million at the end of June, $10.2 million of which came from Burgum himself. Burgum can spend as much as he wants on his campaign, though federal rules cap individual contributions to campaigns at $3,300. But super PACs do not have limits, opening the doors for enormous donations to help pay for advertising and other activities in support of a candidate.

Besides North Dakota names like Tharaldson, who contributed $1 million, Steve Scheel, who contributed $500,000, and R.D. Offutt CEO Keith McGovern, who gave $250,000, Burgum got big support from out-of-state investors.

California venture capitalist Robert Kagle, an early eBay investor, contributed $1 million. Investor Dick Boyce, who earned a Stanford MBA degree in 1980, the same year as Burgum, contributed half a million dollars. David O’Hara, a Microsoft executive, chipped in $250,000.

Burgum’s super PAC raised more money than those supporting Republican presidential candidates with greater name recognition. The group backing former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie raised $5.9 million in the first half of the year, and a super PAC supporting former vice president Mike Pence raised $2.7 million.

Meanwhile, Never Back Down, a group supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, raised $130 million in the first half of 2023, leading other candidates’ super PACs by a long shot. In distant second place was a group supporting South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott at $19.3 million. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s group raised $18.7 million, and former president Donald Trump’s group, MAGA Inc., raised $11 million.

Since Best of America’s report to the FEC only covers June 7, the super PAC’s founding date, to June 30, the end of the midyear reporting period, a month of activity is not included in the filings, including big spending on ads.

So far, the group has only reported about $2,900 in spending, but that number is likely much higher now. A few weeks ago, Best of America announced that it would be spending about $1.4 million in ads supporting Burgum ahead of his GOP presidential debate appearance on Aug. 23.

Republican primaries and caucuses for president start in January 2024.

The 30-second spot mirrors Burgum’s campaign messaging, selling the governor as a conservative business leader “raised with small-town values.”

Advertising from Best of America will supplement the millions of dollars in ads directly purchased by Burgum’s presidential campaign.

Burgum has qualified for the first GOP presidential debate on Aug. 23 by gaining more than 40,000 donors and reaching 1% in at least three polls. He hit the donor threshold by offering $20 gift cards in exchange for $1 donations — taking a financial hit so he could meet the requirements.