NASHVILLE – Republican multi-millionaire Republican Bill Haslam loaned his gubernatorial campaign $400,000 during the second quarter, according to his latest financial disclosure, filed late Monday.
That marks the first time the Knoxville mayor has injected some of his personal wealth into the campaign, a possibility his GOP rivals Zach Wamp and Ron Ramsey have repeatedly raised.
The mayor’s disclosure, which runs from April 1 through June 30, shows he raised a total of $2.09 million, including the $400,000 loan, during the second quarter and spent $3.5 million, much of it for television and radio advertising. He had an ending balance of $2 million remaining to be used in the Aug. 5 primary.
During the course of the campaign, Mr. Haslam, whose family owns Pilot Corp., a national chain of interstate travel centers, has raised almost $8.7 million in contributions before loaning his campaign the $400,000, which took place June 9.
He has spent about $7.06 million during the course of the campaign.