President Donald Trump has directed five percent of proceeds from some of his joint fundraising efforts to Vice President J.D. Vance’s political committee, funneling at least $245,000 to the Working for Ohio PAC in May and June, according to Federal Election Commission disclosures and reporting by multiple news organizations.
The transfers, reflected in FEC filings that cover activity through June, came after an arrangement made this spring, two people familiar with the agreement told NBC News. Fundraising emails and the donation button on Trump’s website notified contributors that a portion of their gift would be allocated to Vance’s committee, and donors who provided cell-phone numbers were told they would receive recurring automated messages on behalf of both Working for Ohio and the Republican National Committee.
The transfers flowed through one of Trump’s joint fundraising committees, Trump National Committee JFC Inc., which directs 77.5 percent of funds to Trump’s leadership PAC, 17.5 percent to the RNC and five percent to Working for Ohio, according to people familiar with the allocation. Those people said Trump’s political team can alter the split at any time.
The arrangement coincided with Vance’s role as the RNC’s finance chair, a post that followed his elevation to vice president in the administration. Allies and officials described the transfers as a way to ensure the vice president’s political operation had cash on hand to pay staff and cover overhead while he carried out fundraising and official duties, including support for the 2026 midterms, rather than as an explicit endorsement of a future presidential bid.
Working for Ohio’s publicly reported finances at the end of 2024 showed limited resources: roughly $16,000 in cash on hand and about $100,000 in debts. The injections in May and June provided more than $245,000 to Vance’s committee in the two months after the agreement took effect, FEC records show.
The financial support arrives as Vance, 41, is widely viewed inside the GOP as a potential 2028 contender. Trump has publicly praised Vance while also speaking favorably of other senior Republicans, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, when asked about future ticket configurations. In July, Trump said it was "too early" to discuss 2028 but called Vance "doing a great job." The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that Trump had discussed possible ticket permutations with allies.
The distribution of joint fundraising proceeds marks a departure from the fundraising arrangements during Trump’s first term, when then-Vice President Mike Pence did not receive a similar automatic share. Pence used his leadership PAC to cover personal political travel and raised independently for his political vehicle while he served as vice president.
FEC reports cited in news coverage include data only through June, leaving open the possibility of additional transfers or changes to allocation rules after that date. The RNC and officials for Trump and Vance did not immediately respond to requests for comment published with reporting on the disclosures.
The infusion to Working for Ohio adds resources to the vice president’s organization at a moment when the committee’s prior reported finances were strained, and it embeds Vance’s operation into Trump’s broader fundraising apparatus. Campaign finance specialists say such arrangements can provide political benefit by giving a subordinate office ready funding while also funneling data and donor contacts to allied operations. NBC News and other outlets first reported on the specifics of the arrangement and the donor-notification mechanics.
While the transfers strengthen Vance’s political infrastructure, the outcome for any 2028 nomination fight remains uncertain. Public comments by Trump and shifts in fundraising allocations could influence the contours of the Republican primary field, but the disclosures through June provide a concrete snapshot of a funding arrangement that put immediate cash into the vice president’s PAC in May and June.