Nicole Shanahan, the reported vice presidential pick of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has a yearslong history of large donations to Democratic candidates and causes, federal records show.
Shanahan is expected to be introduced today as Kennedy’s running mate, The New York Times reported, and her personal fortune and political giving could be a major asset to the campaign. Shanahan was previously married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and there has been speculation that the Bay Area tech veteran could reach into her own pockets to continue aiding Kennedy’s cause.
Already, Shanahan has been a major contributor to Kennedy’s presidential effort. She told The Times last month that she had given $4 million to the lead super PAC supporting Kennedy’s candidacy to help fund a pricey Super Bowl ad. Shanahan has also given $6,600 directly to Kennedy’s campaign, the maximum individual contribution allowable.
In addition to giving to pro-Kennedy causes this cycle, Shanahan gave the individual maximum contribution in April 2023 to Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat.
Before this election cycle, Shanahan was a large donor to Democratic candidates and causes. She gave $25,000 to Joe Biden’s joint fundraising committee in June 2020, and the maximum individual contribution to his campaign. Shanahan also gave $19,400 directly to the Democratic National Committee that year.
But in a potential preview of her interest in Biden challengers, Shanahan also made maximum contributions to Democrat Marianne Williamson’s White House bid in 2019, as well as a PAC aligned with another Democratic contender that cycle, Pete Buttigieg.
Federal Election Commission records show Shanahan’s political giving began in 2014, and she was a maximum donor to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016.
In the intervening years, Shanahan has also given maximum contributions to a variety of Democratic congressional candidates.
CNN’s Alex Leeds Matthews contributed to this post.
