Saints, Pelicans owner Gayle Benson donates $50K to Super PAC connected to John Bel Edwards

About two weeks before the primary election in the Louisiana governor’s race, billionaire New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson made a $50,000 donation to a Super PAC dedicated to reelecting Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards.

The donation was made through Zelia CNP LLC, which lists Benson and the succession of deceased former Saints owner Tom Benson as its officers and Saints President Dennis Lauscha as its registered agent, according to campaign finance disclosures. The firm has made real estate transactions in the past.

Gayle Benson took control of the Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans NBA team when her husband died in March 2018.

The recipient of the donation, Gumbo PAC, has spent millions on television advertising in the governor's race, largely focused on attacking Edwards' Republican challengers. The organization is allowed to raise and spend unlimited sums helping Edwards win reelection as long as does not directly coordinate with Edwards’ campaign. Gumbo PAC was required to report the donation ahead of the 10-day reporting deadline because it is over $1,000 and was made within 20 days of the election. The PAC is run by Democratic political operative Trey Ourso, who declined to comment.

Read more: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/elections/article_3e9da610-e3b7-11e9-95af-979fc0ef32f8.html