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Gov. Mike Braun’s post-election fundraising committees continue to draw major support from Indiana’s business community less than a year into his first term as governor, according to new Federal Election Commission filings.
While the latest reports show limited activity in one as it transitions into a political action committee, another has served as a major fundraising hub, routing hundreds of thousands of dollars to accounts linked to Braun and the Indiana Republican Party.
Team Braun — a joint fundraising committee for Braun’s state and federal campaign activities — reported $432,500 in total contributions so far raised this year, ending September with $77,943 cash on hand and no debt, according to FEC data.
The political action committee, or PAC, acts as a conduit for fundraising events that benefit multiple accounts, including the Freedom and Opportunity Fund, Mike Braun for Indiana and the Indiana Republican State Committee.
Gov. Mike Braun’s post-election fundraising committees continue to draw major support from Indiana’s business community less than a year into his first term as governor, according to new Federal Election Commission filings.
While the latest reports show limited activity in one as it transitions into a political action committee, another has served as a major fundraising hub, routing hundreds of thousands of dollars to accounts linked to Braun and the Indiana Republican Party.
Team Braun — a joint fundraising committee for Braun’s state and federal campaign activities — reported $432,500 in total contributions so far raised this year, ending September with $77,943 cash on hand and no debt, according to FEC data.
The political action committee, or PAC, acts as a conduit for fundraising events that benefit multiple accounts, including the Freedom and Opportunity Fund, Mike Braun for Indiana and the Indiana Republican State Committee.
Separately, Braun’s former campaign committee, Mike Braun for Indiana, officially renamed itself the Freedom and Opportunity Fund earlier this year and reported limited activity in the most recent reports. The move allows the governor to continue raising and distributing federal campaign funds in support of other candidates and political efforts now that he’s not running for federal office.
The account reported $18,207 in total receipts — meaning new money that came into the committee — between Jan. 1 and June 30, according to filings covering the first half of 2025. But there were no individual or committee contributions during that period.
Instead, the committee reported $3,991 in candidate refunds and $12,316 in spending, primarily bank interest and reimbursements from vendors for prior campaign-related expenses.
From June through September, the PAC reported $354,556 in total disbursements, including roughly $350,000 in transfers to affiliated committees, such as Team Braun. Operating expenditures — mainly administrative costs — totaled about $3,457. No independent expenditures, loans or contribution refunds were reported.
The Freedom and Opportunity Fund ended the quarter with $77,943 in cash on hand, and no debts owed to or by the committee.
Joint committee handled most fundraising and transfers
Most of Team Braun’s reported financial activity involved distributing money to its partner committees rather than spending it directly.
The latest FEC report shows the joint committee raised $70,000 in new contributions during September, bringing its year-to-date total to $432,500 — all from individual donors.
Federal filings detail $351,099 in total transfers, including:
- $206,675 to Mike Braun for Indiana
- $67,232 to the Freedom and Opportunity Fund
- $62,252 to the Indiana Republican State Committee’s federal account
- $4,980 to the state-level Indiana Republican State Committee
- $9,960 to the Hoosiers for Opportunity, Prosperity and Enterprise Victory Fund, a separate joint fundraising vehicle
Other expenditures were small and technical — about $2,000 in fees to CMDI and Anedot Inc. for credit-card and software services, plus bank fees.
The filings also identify a wave of large donors in recent months, most giving $5,000 or more through Team Braun. Among them:
- Viswanath Atluri of Carmel, president of VTSI – $12,500
- Amar Venkata Bukkasagaram of Fishers, director at Alithya – $12,500
- Jordan Caldwell of Shelbyville, executive at Caldwell’s Inc. – $10,000
- Mark Elwood of Columbus, executive at Elwood Staffing – $7,500
- John Engelbrecht of Evansville, CEO of South Central Inc. – $5,000
- Robert Kersey of Muncie, executive at American Lawn Mower – $10,000
- Gary Roberts of New Castle, owner of Roberts Pipeline Inc. – $5,000
- Michael Merritt of Bloomington, co-founder and retired executive at Investcorp – $5,000
- Herbert Likens of Anderson, partner at Likens Farms, now retired – $2,500
Earlier in the summer, the committee attracted several other high-profile donors, including:
- James Cornelius, retired chairman and CEO of Bristol-Myers Squibb – $50,000
- Jeffrey Schwartz, retired executive of Simon Property Group – $20,000
- Paul Thrift, president of Thompson Thrift Development – $20,000
- Michael Coyle, owner of Coyle Automotive in Jeffersonville – $20,000
- Christopher Reid, CEO of CRG Residential – $15,000
- Janet Coyle, of Jeffersonville – $20,000
- Daniel Fitzpatrick, CEO of Quality Dining in Mishawaka – $10,000
Braun’s growing political network
Neither of Braun’s federal committees reported any loans or outstanding debts, and both listed “$0” in obligations owed to or by the committees.
The Team Braun filings also show the committee as a clearinghouse for joint fundraising events — gatherings where donors can write a single check that’s divided among multiple Republican committees.
Each of the large transfers was described in filings as a “transfer of joint fundraising proceeds.”
The structure mirrors how other sitting governors with federal campaign histories have kept their donor networks active through PACs and joint committees. It also positions Braun to remain a player in Indiana Republican fundraising circles ahead of the 2026 and 2028 election cycles.
Both committees are next due to file quarterly reports with the FEC in January 2026, which will provide a fuller picture of Braun’s post-campaign fundraising and political activity.
The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news organization that covers state government, policy and elections.
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