Linda McMahon muscles in, becomes a GOP mega-donor

WrestleMania billionaire and failed politician Linda McMahon has emerged as a new Republican mega-donor, Politico said.

Mrs. McMahon, who burned $100 million financing her failed 2010 run for U.S. Senate in Connecticut, has started doling out money to a host of GOP causes, reported Politico, citing public finance records.

Mrs. McMahon and her husband, WWE CEO Vince McMahon, this year gave about $1 million to Republican candidates, party committees and super PACs, including Karl Rove’s American Crossroads and TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts’ group Ending Spending.

The spending spree reportedly came as a surprise to Ms. McMahon’s associates, who didn’t expect her to join the class of mega-donors that includes billionaires such as Democratic environmentalist crusader Tom Steyer and Republican moneymen Charles G. Koch and David H. Koch.

The nearly $1 million in donations this year, which were made mostly in Mrs. McMahon’s name, has a massive increase in political donations by the McMahons. Prior to Mrs. McMahon’s run for Senate, the most they had given to political campaigns was about $30,000 in 2006 and 2008, the report said.