About
Jim Banks (R-Ind.) was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2016, representing Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District. He won reelection in 2022 with 59% of the vote.
In January 2021, fellow House Republicans elected him chair of the Republican Study Committee—a caucus of ultra-conservative representatives. A former member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Banks used the organization’s model legislation to co-author a “right to work” bill while serving in the Indiana State Senate, a position he held from 2010–16.
After the 2020 presidential election, Banks adhered to the GOP playbook by casting doubt on the legitimacy of Biden’s victory. He objected to certifying the Electoral College results and voted against both impeaching Trump for inciting the mob and establishing a special House committee to investigate the insurrection, among other measures.
Right-wing megadonors Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein were among his top 2021 campaign contributors and have also supported the Tea Party Patriots, a group that participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Although Banks had already signaled his support for Trump in 2024, after the lackluster midterms he hedged his bets, telling Fox News in mid November 2022 that he would ”save [his] endorsement for another place and time.”
January 6, 2021
- Just hours after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, Banks joined 146 other congressional Republicans in refusing to certify Biden’s win of the 2020 presidential election.
- Banks voted against impeaching Trump for his role in instigating the attack on Congress and the Capitol, and for fanning the flames once the riot broke out.
- Banks also voted against establishing a House committee to investigate the genesis of the violent assault that disrupted the congressional proceedings underway that day.
- In October 2021, three months after he was booted from the House Select Committee investigating the attack on the Capitol, Banks reportedly initiated his own “shadow” investigation into the committee, contacting multiple federal agencies and social media companies—and falsely posing as the “ranking member” on the committee.
The Big Lie
- On Nov. 6, 2020, Banks and 38 other congressional Republicans signed a letter asking then Attorney General William Barr to investigate the presidential election, claiming that there had been “reports of irregularities” during the voting process.
- On Dec. 10, 2020, Banks signed an amicus brief in a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the results of the presidential election in four swing states: Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Top contributors for the 2024 election cycle.
The organizations themselves did not donate, rather the money came from the organization's PAC, its individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals' immediate families.
| Organization Name | Total | PACs | Individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackstone Group | $65,200.00 | $0.00 | $65,200.00 |
| Formula Boats | $22,800.00 | $0.00 | $22,800.00 |
| Poet LLC | $18,200.00 | $5,000.00 | $13,200.00 |
| REALTY TWO LLC | $17,600.00 | $0.00 | $17,600.00 |
| Barnes & Thornburg | $17,400.00 | $0.00 | $17,400.00 |
| Kirkland & Ellis | $16,900.00 | $0.00 | $16,900.00 |
| American Israel Public Affairs Cmte | $16,500.00 | $0.00 | $16,500.00 |
| Charles & Potomac Capital | $16,500.00 | $0.00 | $16,500.00 |
| Eli Lilly & Co | $15,925.00 | $2,500.00 | $13,425.00 |
| CGCN Group | $14,700.00 | $6,600.00 | $8,100.00 |