Activision CEO Bobby Kotick quietly donated to GOP super PAC

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick used a secret company to quietly donate to a committee backing a Republican former hedge fund chief’s U.S. Senate run in Pennsylvania.

The limited liability company, called 807080A, donated $100,000 on New Year’s Eve to Honor Pennsylvania Inc., which is supporting former Bridgewater CEO Dave McCormick’s effort in the race, according to a Federal Election Commission filing.

The LLC’s California address on that document is identical to the one listed on 990 tax forms for Kotick’s foundation, which is called the 803011 Foundation.

It also matches the address on FEC filings showing Kotick’s individual contributions as recently as September 2021 to various campaigns, including donations supporting Sen. Todd Young, R-Iowa and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Both lawmakers are up for reelection in 2022.

This might not be the first time that Kotick has used this LLC to fund Republican efforts. In 2014, the Republican Governors Association, which is a 527 tax exempt group, listed a donation from a company with the same name but a different California address. The LLC donated a combined $150,000 to the group dedicated to election Republican gubernatorial candidates.

CRP data shows that Kotick’s LLC has never been used to fund any other campaigns or political action committees. The donation from the LLC to the pro-McCormick PAC would mark the most Kotick has ever donated to a campaign or a political action committee, according to CRP data.

Other donations to the pro-McCormick PAC include a $5 million contribution from Citadel CEO Ken Griffin. Wealthy donors, including conservative tech investor Peter Thiel and liberal businessman George Soros, have also spent money to back candidates ahead of this year’s midterm elections.

Donors often use LLCs to conceal their identity and avoid scrutiny as they finance their preferred candidates for office. Real estate executive Stephen Rosenberg used a shell company to back then President Donald Trump after years of supporting Democrats.

A spokesman for Kotick confirmed that the company manages some of the executive’s investments and that he is supporting McCormick.

“The company has been around since 2008 and manages some of Mr. Kotick’s investments. Mr. Kotick contributes to Democratic and Republican candidates and is supporting David McCormick because he is a very close friend,” spokesman Mark Herr told CNBC in an email on Tuesday.

The donation to the McCormick super PAC through the LLC came after reports detailing sexual misconduct allegations within Activision Blizzard. The contribution arrived just weeks before Microsoft announced it was moving to buy Activision in a deal worth $68.7 billion. Microsoft expects the deal to close within a year and a half.

The Wall Street…