GOP gubernatorial candidate-hopeful Meg Whitman's big bucks in her campaign coffers has helped push her to the forefront of the race to the state capitol. By March the former CEO of eBay had raised $21 million for her own cause, of which $20 million had come from her own pocket.
Now she has escalated her check writing, again to herself. State records show that Whitman donated $40 million to herself via two checks issued on April 5th and 6th respectively. California Watch takes a look at what the wealthy Whitman's funding practices mean:
As Whitman's campaign unfolds, a California Watch analysis shows that she continues to rely on her own funds for campaign expenditures to a degree never before seen in California politics.
The $79 million that she has donated to her own campaign represents 85 percent of her war chest. Put another way, political supporters are contributing only 15 cents for every $1 Whitman spends.
Unfortunately, no matter how many dollars she spends, Whitman can only cast one vote for herself.