Cruz, Walker and Ryan are among those who have met with Joe Ricketts over the past year, National Journal reported in February, and Ricketts has also been courted by Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
The endorsements also connect to the Rickettses' past political beneficence. The family's super PAC, the Ending Spending Action Fund, spent over $160,000 in support of Cruz during his contested 2012 U.S. Senate primary, and the group put $245,000 toward Walker's recall election the same year. Joe Ricketts personally donated an additional $100,000 to Walker, and Pete Ricketts and his brother Todd Ricketts, who now runs Ending Spending, gave an additional $75,000 to pro-Walker efforts.
Filings with the Indiana Secretary of State's Office and the Federal Elections Commission show the elder Ricketts also made personal contributions to both Pence's and Ryan's political campaigns in 2012. All told, the Ending Spending PAC has raised and spent roughly $25 million since it was first launched in 2010, a big slice of which went to pro-Mitt Romney activities in 2012, and the family has given millions more on candidates and PACs across the country.
