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Jackson-Aligned Super Pac Raised $325,000 For Late Ad Blitz

Campaign mailers waiting to go out at Frank Jackson's campaign office. [Matt Richmond / ideastream]

A political action committee set up to help re-elect Frank Jackson mayor of Cleveland raised $325,000 from 11 contributors, all in the last month before the election and today was the deadline to file campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission.

As a SuperPac, Cleveland Forward could collect unlimited donations but it could not coordinate with Jackson’s campaign.

Its biggest contributors were Jason Lucarelli of Minute Men Staffing, who gave $100,000 and Albert Ratner of Forest City Realty, who chipped in $65,000, plus a $40,000 loan in the final week.

Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert’s casino company chipped in $70,000.

About 80 percent of the SuperPac’s revenue went to a Washington D.C.-based political advertising company called Main Street Communications.

Correction: The original version of this story said there were 13 contributors to the Cleveland Forward PAC, there were 11 contributors who made 13 contributions, including one loan.

Matthew Richmond is a reporter/producer focused on criminal justice issues at Ideastream Public Media.