Most Americans might not recognize Richard Uihlein’s name, but he is a key player in U.S. politics as one of the biggest donors to far-right-wing candidates and committees. The Lake Forest resident is the CEO of Uline Inc., a Wisconsin company that sells shipping and packaging materials to businesses in North America. Over the years, Uihlein has established himself as one of the “top five courted GOP donors," as one political strategist told CNN.
Uihlein has supported Republican candidates and far-right political groups since 1997. Forbes reported that Uihlein and his wife, Elizabeth, spent more than $5 million in the 2014 midterm elections.
This election cycle, the top recipient of Uihlein’s money is Our Principles PAC, with a $2 million donation in March. According to the nonpartisan Factcheck.org, Our Principles PAC was formed in January 2016 to “thwart Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.” The PAC is run by Republican strategists who previously supported Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush, and it has also received major contributions from the Ricketts family, which has publicly criticized Trump.
It’s safe to say Uihlein is uninterested in a Trump presidency. In addition to Our Principles, he donated $1.5 million to the Club for Growth Action, which supports conservative candidates and officially endorsed Ted Cruz for president in March 2016. Even after Cruz dropped out of the race, the Club’s president issued a statement saying it was “proud to stand with Senator Ted Cruz and the principled campaign he has run for president.”
Below, see the top five recipients of Uihlein's money this cycle.
Our Principles PAC The Ricketts family’s anti-Trump PAC |
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Restoration PAC Ran an ad claiming Obama met with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani (he didn’t) |
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Club for Growth Action Supported Ted Cruz |
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Keep the Promise PAC Supported Ted Cruz |
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Senate Conservatives Action Backs ultraconservative congressional candidates |
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