Emails, Catherine Frazier, national press secretary, Ted Cruz presidential campaign, Oct. 26, 2015

On Oct 26, 2015, at 3:32 PM, Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin) <wgselby@statesman.com> wrote:

Sen. Cruz said in Houston this morning that the Cruz campaign “finished the last quarter reporting the most cash on hand of any Republican in the field, …$13.8 million in the bank, three and a half million dollars more than the Jeb Bush campaign.” I expect to check this against the FEC filings.

How did the senator reach his comparative conclusion?

THANKS.

g.

W. Gardner Selby

Reporter / News

Austin American-Statesman

PolitiFact Texas

From: Catherine Frazier

Sent: Monday, October 26, 2015 3:38 PM

To: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)

Subject: Re: Query for a fact check

 $13.8 cash on hand. $2.5 million more that Carson, who has second-most.

per FEC filings:

Ben Carson: raised $20 million; spent $14.2 million; $11.3 million cash on hand

Jeb Bush: raised $13.4 million, spent $11.5; million; $10.3 million cash on hand

Ted Cruz: raised $12.2 million; spent $3.7 million; $13.8 million cash on hand

Carly Fiorina: raised $6.8 million; spent $2.2 million; $5.5 million cash on hand

Marco Rubio: raised $5.7 million; spent $4.6 million; $11 million cash on hand

John Kasich: raised $4.4 million; spent $1.7 million; $2.7 million cash on hand

Chris Christie: raised $4.2 million; spent $2.8 million; $1.4 million cash on hand

Donald Trump: raised $3.9 million, spent $4.2 million; $254,772 cash on hand

Rand Paul: raised $2.5 million; spent $4.5 million; $2.1 million cash on hand

Mike Huckabee: raised $1.3 million; spent $1.4 million; $761,410 cash on hand

On Oct 26, 2015, at 5:43 PM, Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin) <wgselby@statesman.com> wrote:

How does the campaign account for money raised by PACs supporting the candidates?

From: Catherine Frazier

Sent: Monday, October 26, 2015 5:54 PM

To: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)

Subject: Re: Query for a fact check

CRUZ: “our campaign...finished the last quarter reporting the most cash on hand of any Republican in the field”

I don’t see the words “PAC” anywhere in that statement, so I don’t see how that is relevant.

On Oct 26, 2015, at 5:59 PM, Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin) <wgselby@statesman.com> wrote:

Ok. Do you agree the Cruz cause has or may have the second-most overall cash on hand, counting PACs and Super PACs?

6:03 p.m.

Oct. 26, 2015

I can’t speak to Super PAC COH other than what has been publicly reported. But given that, yes I’d say so.

However, to base any rating on super pac money is completely misleading because Cruz was clearly talking about campaign cash on hand.