RNC financial document: Things look bleak

The document, pulled together during a recent review sparked by concerns over RNC spending practices, said the committee had $12.5 million in cash on hand at the end of April.

By comparison, the average cash on hand at the end of April from 2002-2009 was $40.4 million. And that average includes the odd numbered years when there are fewer election contests…

To be fair, there was a Republican president in those years, and the GOP controlled Congress, so fund-raising was less of a challenge. Still, the giant gap in the RNC’s financial standing compared to past cycles is a source of considerable grumbling among party leaders and activists who worry the GOP is not fully prepared to take advantage of a campaign year in which most of the fundamentals suggest huge Republican openings.