Donald Trump’s campaign, billed as self-funded, risks little of his fortune

“While the convoluted accounting is required by law — so that Mr. Trump’s companies do not make illegal corporate contributions directly to his campaign — it also means that Mr. Trump is in effect taking millions of dollars out of one pocket and depositing it into another.”

NICHOLAS CONFESSORE & SARAH COHEN/NEW YORK TIMES

Donald J. Trump once boasted that he could someday be the only person to turn a profit running for president. He may be closer than anyone realizes.

Mr. Trump’s campaign spent just $12.4 million in 2015, according to disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission, millions less than any of his leading rivals for the Republican nomination. More than half of Mr. Trump’s total spending was covered by checks from his supporters, who have thronged to his stump speeches and bought millions of dollars’ worth of “Make America Great Again” hats and T-shirts. Continue reading…

Ted Cruz’s campaign spread false report in Iowa that Ben Carson was quitting race

NEW YORK TIMES

As Iowa Republicans headed to the caucuses on Monday night, Senator Ted Cruz’s campaign left recorded messages for supporters with “breaking news” that Ben Carson would drop out of the race, and told them to “inform any Carson caucus-goers of this news and urge them to caucus for Ted instead.” Continue reading…

Hillary Clinton’s campaign resists releasing transcripts from Goldman Sachs speeches

In response to a question at Thursday night’s debate, Hillary Clinton said she would “look into” the possibility of releasing transcripts of her paid remarks to banking, corporate and financial services companies like Goldman Sachs.

But by Friday morning, it did not appear that much looking was underway. Continue reading…

On abortion, Kasich is no moderate

JENNIFER HABERKORN/POLITICO

John Kasich is hoping for a candidacy-saving showing in New Hampshire on Tuesday by positioning himself as a pragmatic GOP budget-balancer, more moderate than his rivals. But on abortion, the Ohio governor is anything but moderate, signing a slew of restrictive laws that have closed nearly half his state’s clinics. Continue reading…

Clinton email scandal: Why it might be time for Democrats to draft Joe Biden

COLBERT KING/WASHINGTON POST

The Hillary Clinton email issue is developing into a real whodunit, complete with Clintonesque legal semantics. “I never sent or received any material marked classified,” she said with respect to the discovery of classified information on her private, unclassified email server. That surface denial nearly rivals Bill Clinton’s classic: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”

But this is no laughing matter. Continue reading…

Bush and Christie: Rubio is the new Obama

NOLAN D. MCCASKILL/POLITICO

Jeb Bush and Chris Christie have a message for New Hampshire’s Republican voters: Marco Rubio would be President Barack Obama all over again.

The two are looking to tear Rubio down ahead of next week’s primary, hoping to derail the Florida Senator’s momentum after his strong finish in the Iowa caucus. And to do so, they’re comparing Rubio with the most recent first-term, charismatic Senator who won the White House.

“Why do we think it will be any different with a first-term U.S. Senator from Florida who, quite frankly, doesn’t show up to work anymore?” Christie said Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“We’ve had seven years with a guy who was gifted, who could give a great speech,” Bush told NBC News’ Kelly O’Donnell. “But he’s divided the country, he has no leadership skills and I think we need someone now to fix the mess in Washington than just perpetuate it.” Continue reading…