WASHINGTON, March 11 (UPI) -- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney reportedly made several personal donations to national conservative groups prior to starting his bid for the White House.
The New York Times reported Sunday that before officially announcing his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the U.S. presidency, Romney donated tens of thousands of his own money to conservative groups in a bid to strengthen his position within the political party.
Among the donations were contributions to the Christian conservative Massachusetts Family Institute, the anti-abortion Massachusetts Citizens for Life and Massachusetts Citizens for Limited Taxation, the report said.
In addition, the former governor made donations to the Federalist Society, the Heritage Foundation and a nonprofit group linked to the National Review.
A spokesman for Romney attempted to downplay the possible influence of such donations, instead suggesting his client's political stance was what should be considered.
"What is important is not the amount of money that the governor has personally, but instead the message and the vision that he has," Kevin Madden told the Times.
