Midwestern businessman Richard Uihlein made his fortune distributing packaging materials. But he cemented his political capital by donating heavily to GOP candidates.
According to a filing with the Federal Election Commission, Uihlein donated $100,000 to Proven Conservatives PAC, a group advocating for GOP Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. Uihlein’s donation, which hadn’t been disclosed, has bankrolled a series of advertisements boosting Moore’s candidacy following multiple sexual assault and harassment allegations dating back several decades. The PAC, formed in late August, has also aired ads attacking Moore’s primary opponent, Sen. Luther Strange (R-AL), and his Democratic election rival Doug Jones.
Forbes estimates Uihlein’s family company, Uline Inc., between 700 million and $2 billion. Based in Wisconsin, Uline has more than $2 billion in revenues, according to press reports and a proprietary corporate database. The firm sells more than 29,000 different products from 11 distribution centers in North America, and has expanded from packing materials to warehouse supplies.
During the 2016 election, Uihlein and his wife donated a combined $26.4 million to federal campaigns, super PACs, and interest groups.
