Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s then-unexplained absence on Capitol Hill didn’t stop a host of corporate interests from flooding his campaign account with cash, according to federal financial disclosures filed Wednesday.
The New Jersey Republican, who later explained that depression caused the absence that spanned from early March to late June, is locked in a toss-up race that could help determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the U.S. House come January.
Political action committees sponsored by SpaceX, General Motors, Coinbase, UPS, Comcast, Entergy, Constellation Energy, New York Life Insurance and the U.S. subsidiary of shipping giant Maersk each made four-figure contributions, the records indicate.
So did a host of trade association political committees, including National Apartment Association PAC, U.S. Oncology Network PAC, American Association of Crop Insurers PAC, International Warehouse Logistics Association PAC, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies PAC, NTCA Rural Broadband PAC, the Engineers Political Education Committee and the American Maritime Officers Voluntary Political Action Fund.
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Kean is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, including its subcommittees on communications and technology, as well as commerce, manufacturing and trade. These posts make Kean an attractive target for corporate influence efforts.
Kean’s campaign committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night.
The lawmaker returned to Capitol Hill on June 30, explaining in a speech to fellow members of Congress that he had been hospitalized for depression.
“When I first informed the public that I was dealing with a medical issue, I was still trying to understand what was happening myself,” Kean said. “When I said I hope to return in a matter of weeks, I believed it.”
Leadership PACs for Reps. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), Nick LaLota (R-New York) and Rudy Yakym (R-Indiana) also gave Kean’s campaign thousands, despite Kean not campaigning at that time.
The campaign reported that Palmer Luckey, founder of defense contractor Anduril Industries, personally contributed more than $900 to Kean’s campaign on March 31.
And Never Surrender Inc. PAC — the successor political committee to President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign committee — gave $5,000 on April 13, federal records show.
Kean’s overall fundraising from April 1 to June 30 — just under $300,000 — was nevertheless anemic for a candidate in such a competitive race.
The lawmaker made no in-person campaign appearances during this time, likely contributing to his underwhelming donation numbers from individual contributors.
His campaign committee continued to pay staff and vendors. And Kean’s overall campaign finance picture remains robust: He entered July with more than $3.6 million on hand thanks to his ability to conserve stores of cash because of an uncontested primary.
Democrat Rebecca Bennett will face Kean in November’s general election for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District after Kean won his June 2 Republican primary against no competition — but with the tailwind of a Trump endorsement.
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