Democrat megadonor Barry Diller maxes out to Biden— and Chris Christie

Billionaire media mogul Barry Diller has donated tens of 1000’s of {dollars} to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s GOP presidential marketing campaign and tremendous PAC — whereas concurrently funneling six-figure contributions to President Biden’s 2024 re-election efforts, based on current federal filings.

The 81-year-old chairman of IAC, whose portfolio contains The Day by day Beast, gave the utmost donation of $3,300 to Chris Christie for President, Inc., and one other $46,700 to the Inform It Like It Is PAC on the finish of June, second quarter federal election filings present.

On the similar time, Diller maxed out with a $6,600 contribution to the Biden marketing campaign and gave $100,000 to the president and Democratic Social gathering’s joint tremendous PAC for the overall election.

“I feel nominating Donald Trump has such damaging penalties that supporting Chris Christie’s marketing campaign to cease that from occurring is one thing I very a lot assist,” Diller instructed The Publish in an e-mail early Thursday. “I additionally like and respect Christie.”

The Diller donations increase new questions on Democratic affect within the Republican main. Diller didn’t donate to Biden’s 2020 marketing campaign however was a megadonor and fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Since 2016, the Expedia Group govt has given more than $2 million to Democratic candidates and committees, based on the money-in-politics monitoring web site OpenSecrets.org.

Diller has additionally let former first daughter Chelsea Clinton serve on IAC’s board since 2011, the place she has raked in additional than $9 million in firm shares, Barron’s reported.

Diller isn’t the one Democrat with heat emotions towards Christie. A Quinnipiac College ballot launched Wednesday confirmed 32% of registered Dems had a good view of the previous Backyard State governor, in comparison with 24% of independents — and simply 17% of precise registered Republicans.

The Fox Broadcasting Firm founder and Hollywood icon acquired in sizzling water final yr when the federal authorities started probing whether or not he, his stepson, and music and movie business titan David Geffen engaged in profitable insider buying and selling earlier than Activision Blizzard’s merger with Microsoft.

The Justice Division and Securities and Trade Fee is investigating whether or not the three males raked in roughly $60 million from trades made days earlier than the merger was introduced.

Diller confirmed the investigation to The Wall Road Journal however mentioned the trio “acted on no info of any type from anybody.”

“It was merely a fortunate wager,” he instructed the newspaper.

A who’s who of legacy media figures have given favorable protection and even donated to Christie as he challenges GOP frontrunner and former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough on Wednesday teased that Trump was “scared to loss of life” of dealing with the previous New Jersey governor and will skip the primary Republican main debate in Milwaukee subsequent week.

New York Occasions podcaster Kara Swisher additionally contributed $5 to Christie’s marketing campaign, in a gesture to assist the candidate attain the Republican Nationwide Committee’s distinctive donor threshold requirement to debate Trump.

“I gave him cash ’trigger I need him to be on the stage. I need him to succeed in that quantity. And I actually like debates,” she mentioned on an episode of “On with Kara Swisher” this month. “I watch them and I feel it’s essential that Trump has somebody who truly can take him on just a little higher.”

“If Trump drops out, there’s a lane for him,” Swisher added, saying even when his marketing campaign flops, “He’ll get a e-book deal. He’ll be on TV.”

Christie, a one-time Trump ally, is polling 52 factors behind the frontrunner at 2.3% assist, based on the RealClearPolitics polling common.

A New Hampshire ballot launched Tuesday confirmed Christie surging forward of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis into second place however with simply 9% assist amongst voters.

Reps for the Inform It Like It Is PAC and the Christie marketing campaign didn’t reply to a request for remark.