The Money Trail: Republicans Gear Up for 2010 Races

March 25, 2010 — -- With the 2010 congressional races now moving sharply into focus, Republican operatives in Washington have quietly begun assembling new organizations to target big-money donors for six-figure contributions to select GOP candidates.

Last month, a group of former campaign consultants and aides to Sen. John McCain filed tax papers needed to form a new fundraising group under the name Grow Our Party, and began approaching large donors.

A solicitation document obtained by ABC News lays out the group's pitch: "For each race on which Grow Our Party focuses, we will sponsor television and radio ads that aid key candidates, influence voters through direct outreach programs and engage local grassroots leaders," the appeal says.

"All contributions to Grow Our Party will go directly to helping targeted candidates. We use only Presidential-level pollsters, ad makers, strategic advisors, direct mail and phone vendors to ensure an elite level of targeted persuasion efforts," it says, before asking for donations as high as $500,000.

READ THE PITCH LETTER HERE

The group is chaired by Bill Bloomfield, a Manhattan Beach, California developer who has donated heavily to Arnold Schwarzenegger and who headed up volunteer recruiting efforts for McCain in 2008. Bloomfield bundled between $250,000 and $500,000 for McCain's White House bid and donated more than $58,000 personally, according to the Center for Responsive PoliticsBo Harmon, a veteran campaign consultant who served as a McCain direct mail specialist in 2008, Trevor Potter, McCain's long time legal adviser, and John Green, a DC lobbyist who also served as a top McCain adviser, have all taken on leadership roles.

Despite the presence of so many former McCain aides – and Harmon's suggestion that the group may put money behind McCain's effort to fend off a primary challenge in Arizona – the founders do not want the group to be tied to McCain effort. In fact, Harmon said, McCain had no hand in its formation.