By A super PAC supporting Republican Sen. Tim Scott’s campaign for president has selected a billionaire tech executive to be its finance chair, according to an announcement by the group that was first reviewed by CNBC.
The super PAC, titled Trust In The Mission PAC, announced on Tuesday that billionaire David Steward will be its finance chair. That role traditionally involves taking a lead in fundraising efforts for such political operations.
The pro-Scott PAC bringing on Steward to help run its fundraising efforts comes as Scott is behind in the polls and is planning to take part in Wednesday’s debate. Scott currently has 2% support in the Republican primary, according to a Morning Consult tracker. Former President Donald Trump leads the primary with 58% of support.
Steward is the founder and chair of IT provider World Wide Technology. He has an estimated net worth of $7 billion, according to Forbes. The PAC has raised more than $19 million and had $15 million on hand going into the second half of the year, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Steward has been a major donor to Republican politics, including contributing $100,000 to former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’ campaign and $100,000 to a super PAC that backed former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush when he ran for president in 2016, according to data from the nonpartisan OpenSecrets.
Steward pointed to Scott’s attitude for why he’s moving to help the South Carolina lawmaker.
“His [Scott’s] optimistic view of what America can do for everyone is one of the many reasons I’m proud to joining TIM PAC as Finance Chairman and helping him become the next president of the United States,” Steward said in a statement provided by the PAC.
Former Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, a co-chair of the PAC, said “the support for Tim’s mission grows by the day and we’re proud to have David on board as an important member of our team.”
