Pro-Gingrich super PAC reports $2.1 million in contributions

Introduction

Winning Our Future, the super PAC associated with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and credited with keeping his campaign alive, raised $2.1 million in 2011, according to a report filed Tuesday night with the Federal Election Commission.

The group is best known for its top patron, casino owner and billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who, together with his wife, have given it $10 million. But the most recent FEC report is through the end of 2011 and those contributions have yet to be reported.

The group ended the year with a healthy $1.2 million in the bank. It spent heavily in January, to little effect, apparently. Gingrich was soundly defeated in the crucial Florida primary Tuesday.

Even without Adelson, the super PAC drew support from a handful of wealthy donors. Harold Simmons, whose Contran Corp. also donated $1 million to the pro-Perry “Make Us Great Again” super PAC, gave $500,000 to the pro-Gingrich group, as did W.S. Probst of Huntsville, Ala.

While Sheldon and wife didn’t make any donations, it appears members of their family did.

Sivan Ochshorn, Adelson’s step-daughter, gave $500,000. Yasmin Lukatz, Adelson’s niece, who is now head of marketing at tech startup Evo and a former “Special Assistant to the Chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands” kicked in $250,000 as did husband Oren Lukatz, a photographer.

The two are frequent Republican donors.

Despite being barred from coordination with the Gingrich campaign, Winning Our Future has close ties to the candidate. The group’s president, Becky Burkett, was head of fundraising for Gingrich’s defunct nonprofit, “American Solutions for Winning the Future.”

Rick Tyler, who served as Gringrich’s campaign press secretary, is a senior advisor to the group.

CORRECTION: In the initial version of the story, the reporter incorrectly listed Stephen Muss as a $500,000 donor. Muss is a $50,000 donor.

Updated 2/1/2012 at 11:12 AM EST