Morgan Freeman donates $1m to Barack Obama’s election effort

Published on 20/07/2012 02:15

Actor Morgan Freeman is the latest Hollywood figure to join the ranks of $1 million (£630,000) donors to Democratic president Barack Obama’s re-election effort.

The Oscar-winning actor’s big donation to Priorities USA Action, the “super political action committee” or Super Pac backing the president, was announced earlier this week.

Priorities USA has raised $20.4m this election cycle but trails Restore Our Future, the Super Pac supporting Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney which has raised $81.5m.

Super Pacs are allowed to raise and spend unlimited funds. Operating outside of official campaigns and parties, they have taken over much of the dirty work of negative advertising. Each side is on track to spend more than $1 billion on campaigning in the run-up to the 6 November election.