Here’s how much KC Chiefs, Royals owners have donated to political causes: ESPN study
Kansas City professional team owners Clark Hunt and John Sherman have made recent political contributions, though in smaller amounts than many of their peers, according to a recent study from ESPN and FiveThirtyEight.
Using data from the Federal Election Commission, ESPN created a database for all sports team owners and commissioners from the last three election cycles, with individual contributions to political parties and PACs ranging from $250 to $10.9 million.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt was toward the middle of the pack on that list, donating $53,675 from 2016-20 to Republican party groups. Sherman, the Royals owner, was cited to have given $5,000 in the 2020 election cycle to a bipartisan PAC.
ESPN’s numbers only reflect owners contributions with their current teams; Sherman was announced as new owner of the Royals on Aug. 30, 2019.
FiveThirtyEight’s study found that owners had contributed more than $46 million to election causes since 2015, with 73% of that money going to Republican campaigns or super PACs, 22% going to Democratic causes and just under 6% to unaffiliated or bipartisan groups.
Each of the major six sports leagues — with the exception of the WNBA — had a majority of owner money donated to Republicans.
San Francisco Giants owner Charles Johnson topped the owner donation list, giving $10,995,500 to Republican efforts. Los Angeles Kings owner Philip Anschutz — born in Russell, Kansas, and also a University of Kansas graduate — was fourth, giving $1,776,700 to Republicans.
Missourians Stanley Kroenke and wife Ann, who own the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Rams and Colorado Avalanche, spent $100,000 on Democrats, $33,400 on Republicans and $15,000 on bipartisan efforts, according to the study.
ESPN warned that its research was not altogether comprehensive, as owners have avenues available to hide their political spending from public documents if they choose.
