Newt scores loot from GOP

Introduction

If you thought Newt Gingrich is raising money for the Republican National Committee purely out of party devotion, think again.

The RNC has reported paying Gingrich’s company $90,000 so far this year for “fundraising services,” according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

The RNC and Gingrich Productions, which describes itself as a “multimedia production company … featuring the work of Newt and Callista Gingrich,” did not respond to questions from the Center for Public Integrity about the specific fundraising services performed by Gingrich Productions.

The RNC, however, has sent out fundraising emails over the signature of the former speaker of the House of Representatives, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

For instance, on March 26, the RNC blasted out a Gingrich-signed missive announcing that RNC Chairman Reince Priebus had authorized the formation of “a special group of our Party’s top supporters who will provide the resources our Party needs” for the 2016 elections.

“I am honored the Chairman has tasked me to lead and assemble this important team of Republican grassroots leaders from across our great country,” Gingrich wrote.

Readers were invited to “become a member and support RNC Victory 2016” by clicking a link, which led to an RNC donation page.

The RNC has sent out other fundraising emails over Gingrich’s signature during the past two years, and it paid Gingrich Productions $9,500 in September 2013 for “media services.”

A Center for Public Integrity analysis of Federal Election Commission data found only two other payments to Gingrich Productions: one from the Citizens United Political Action Victory Fund for $1,401 in 2011 described as “royalties,” and one from Gingrich’s own 2012 presidential campaign for $8,400 for “web development,” also made in 2011.

Gingrich is a senior adviser at law firm Dentons, as well as a CNN political commentator.

His presidential campaign, meanwhile, is still working to pay off $4.65 million owed to dozens of creditors.

It could take awhile. The campaign only reported bringing in $17,000 during the first three months of the year —a lot less than the $90,000 the RNC paid Gingrich’s production company.

Ben Wieder contributed to this article