This story originally appeared in The Daily Beast newsletter, Pay Dirt. Sign up for that newsletter: HERE.
PAY DIRT has obtained the latest annual tax filing for Turning Point USA, the conservative youth activist outfit run by pro-Trump pundit and Don Jr. co-author Charlie Kirk. The filing, which covers the period from July 2016 through June 2017, shows Trump’s ascendancy has been a bonanza for the group. Turning Point brought in more than $8.2 million, up from $4.3 million in the previous fiscal year. Its expenditures more than doubled, to more than $8.3 million.
The majority of that budget—about $4.3 million—went to payroll expenses for Turning Point staffers and expenses associated with its conferences and events. Kirk himself reported just $49,096 in annual income from the group. In a section of the form detailing the breakdown of its salary expenses, Turning Point itemized that exact sum as fundraising expenses, indicating Kirk’s role for the group is primarily raising money. It had just one other salaried senior staffer, and paid an Arizona-based firm called Rally Forge LLC for communications consulting work.