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Donald Trump

New York Jets owner and other big GOP donors join Donald Trump effort

Fredreka Schouten
USA TODAY
Jets owner Woody Johnson, left, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell talk in this file photo.

The Republican Party's 2012 nominee Mitt Romney still may be in the #NeverTrump camp, but his top fundraiser is joining forces with Donald Trump — along with several of the party's biggest financial backers.

Woody Johnson, the owner of the New York Jets, will serve as one of six "vice chairs" of Trump Victory, a joint-fundraising committee Trump and the Republican National Committee recently established as the real-estate developer works to build a fundraising operation for the general election.

Other big-name fundraisers helping to lead the group include roofing magnate Diane Hendricks, who has been an ardent supporter of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's political ambitions; Mel Sembler, a former U.S. ambassador to Italy and Australia who was an early supporter of Jeb Bush's presidential campaign; and Ray Washburne, a former Republican National Committee finance chairman who had backed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's unsuccessful bid for the White House.

The committee also is forming a group of "presidential trustees" to boost fundraising.

Early members include Oklahoma-based Joe Craft, who runs one of the country's biggest coal companies, and Missouri businessman Sam Fox, who became known during the 2004 presidential campaign for helping fund SwiftBoat ads that attacked Democrat John Kerry's service in Vietnam.

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In a statement released with the Republican National Committee, Trump described the group as an "impressive leadership team comprised of talented individuals" who will work "together to unite the party."

"The money raised is an investment in the Republican Party and the future of our country, which, as president, I am going to make better and stronger than ever before," he added.

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Trump, who did not actively raise money during the primary, now is racing to establish a donor network to help him and the Republican Party raise $1 billion for his expected confrontation with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.He's holding his first fundraisers this week, including an event Wednesday in Los Angeles, hosted by his friend, private-equity investor Tom Barrack.

In an interview Tuesday with the Associated Press, Trump described the new fundraising push as more about helping the party than his campaign.

"The RNC really wanted to do it, and I wanted to show good spirit," he told the news service. "I was very happy to continue to go along the way I was."

Under the deal, however, Trump's campaign will see some benefits. Individuals donors can contribute nearly $450,000 each to Trump Victory. A total of $5,400 would go to Trump's campaign with the remainder split among various RNC accounts and party committees in 11 states.

At least two super PACs, which can raise unlimited money to back a candidate, also are vying to become the primary outside fundraising vehicle for Trump's campaign — leading to some confusion among potential donors.

Energy magnate T. Boone Pickens, who was slated to hold a June fundraiser with one of those super PACs, the Great America PAC, changed those plans over the weekend. Pickens' spokesman Jay Rosser blamed "logistics and scheduling" problems for the cancellation and said Pickens still plans a "major fundraising initiative" to benefit Trump.

It likely will occur after the Republican National Convention in July, Rosser said.

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