Kyrsten Sinema loads up on cash from big GOP donors

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), who deregistered as a Democrat in favor of being an independent, is reportedly being bankrolled in part by top Republican donors.

Among those funding Sinema is Stephen Schwarzman, the chairman, CEO, and co-founder of private-equity firm Blackstone, according to NBC. Schwarzman is a major Republican donor who publicly stated last year that he wouldn't be backing Donald Trump's third presidential run.

Another contributor to Sinema's campaign is Ken Mehlman, a former Republican National Committee Chairman under the Trump Administration, according to NBC's analysis of Sinema's donors.

The analysis further reveals that, aside from top GOP donors, Sinema is funded in large part by big-money donors. More than half of the funds she received in the first part of this year came from donors who gave at least the maximum per-election individual donation, $3,300, NBC reported.

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"She received $287,000 from employees of Blackstone, the major investment firm, and its affiliates, as well as almost $196,000 from employees of the Carlyle Group and its affiliates," NBC writes. "Sinema also received over $51,000 from employees of Elliott Advisors and their affiliates, over $71,000 from employees of Ryan LLC, and over $53,000 from employees of the firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and its subsidiaries."

Sinema is facing a challenge from Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who said last year that he would run for the Democratic nomination to Sinema's Senate seat.