Texas has raised $54 million in private donations for its border wall plan. Almost all of it came

[TexasTowelie]

Texas has raised $54 million in private donations for its border wall plan. Almost all of it came from this one billionaire.

by James Barragán and Carla Astudillo, Texas Tribune


An out-of-state billionaire who has previously bankrolled attempts to defend controversial immigration laws is responsible for nearly all the donations to Gov. Greg Abbott’s $54 million border wall fund.

A member of one of America’s richest family dynasties, Timothy Mellon, contributed nearly 98% of the fund’s total donations when he donated $53.1 million in stock to the state in August, according to public records. Mellon is the 79-year-old Wyoming-based grandson of banking tycoon and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon.

Before Mellon’s donations, Abbott’s private fundraising campaign had stalled at about $1.25 million around mid-August, two months after its launch — a drop in the bucket for a project with a price tag estimated in the billions of dollars. But on Aug. 27, a state website that tracks donations to the crowdfunding effort said the fund had jumped to nearly $19 million. By the end of the month, it had topped $54 million.

The donations have since stalled again.

Mellon did not respond to multiple requests for comment made to his company, New Hampshire-based Pan Am Systems, and a marketing firm that handled publicity for his 2015 autobiography.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/06/timothy-mellon-texas-border-wall/

[nykym]

1. Why stop at the boarder

do us all a favor and build a wall around your state, no exits.

[4Q2u2]

2. Is that

A-Hole able to use that "Donation" as a Tax write off?
I hope not.

[marble falls]

3. $54M is spit in the ocean to build a border wall across Texas. Wouldn't even fix 45's joke of a wall

[cynical_idealist]

4. It's anough for a nice billboard sign. Please don't come in!

Please don't come in!
It's not safe here.