2016 Election Campaign Contributions Total $250 Million So Far - Here's the Breakdown

As of Aug. 31, election campaign contributions for the 2016 presidential race total roughly $250 million.

That's the amount we gleaned from the most recent OpenSecrets.org data. The site categorized the amount raised by "campaign committees and outside groups" for each Democrat and Republican candidate. In other words, OpenSecrets.org took into account cash flow going to candidates from the following sources:

• 501(c) Groups: Nonprofit, tax-exempt groups organized under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) that can engage in varying amounts of political activity, depending on the type of group. These groups are not legally required to disclose donor information.
• 527 Committee: A tax-exempt group organized under section 527 of the IRC to raise money for political activities.
• Campaign Committee: A fundraising committee set up by a candidate to finance a campaign for state or federal office.
• Leadership PAC: A fundraising committee formed by a politician as a way to help fund other candidates' campaigns or pay for certain expenses not related to the campaigns. These are often used by politicians who aspire to leadership positions in Congress. By making donations to other candidates, lawmakers hope to gain clout among their colleagues that the lawmaker will utilize in a bid for a leadership post or committee chairmanship.
• Super PAC: Born into existence in 2010, this is a type of PAC that can raise and spend unlimited sums of money for the sole purpose of making independent expenditures to support or oppose political candidates.
• Carey Committee: A PAC that is not affiliated with a candidate and has the ability to operate both as a traditional PAC, contributing funds to a candidate's committee, and as a super PAC, which makes independent expenditures.

"The modern presidential campaign isn't a single organization," OpenSecrets notes. "On this page, we've collected all the known groups associated with potential 2016 candidates - 97 and counting - but expect to see more pop up before the primaries begin."

Here's a look at what each candidate has brought in so far via campaign committees and outside groups...

(You'll note Donald Trump is the only candidate not receiving cash from any of these sources.)

List of Election Campaign Contributions Through Aug. 31, 2015

*Data from OpenSecrets.org

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Related Articles:

• Opensecrets.org: Behind the Candidates: Campaign Committees and Outside Groups

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