Trump's election campaign given $50million boost from billionaire Timothy Mellon

Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Wisconsin on Tuesday (AP)
Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Wisconsin on Tuesday (AP)

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has received a $50million (£39.5m) boost from the conservative billionaire Timothy Mellon.

Mr Mellon, an heir of the Pittsburgh-based Mellon banking family, reportedly made the donation the day after Trump was convicted on 34 charges of falsifying business records in his New York hush-money trial.

MAGA Inc disclosed in a filing to the Federal Election Commission that it took in more than $68million (£54m) from donors last month, with most of the money coming from Mr Mellon and another $10million (£7.9m) from billionaires Liz and Dick Uihlein, who founded the Uline shipping and packaging company.

Mr Mellon, who lives in Wyoming and is rarely photographed, is an amateur pilot who has invested in and led transport-related companies.

Forbes estimates that the Mellon family is worth some $14.1billion (£11.14bn).

Meanwhile, a federal appeals court panel has rejected the bid of long-time Trump ally Steve Bannon to stay out of prison.

Bannon had hoped to stay out of prison while he fought his conviction for defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the US Capitol attack.

He is supposed to report to prison by July 1 to begin serving his four-month sentence for contempt of Congress.

Bannon’s lawyers had asked the appeals court to allow him to remain free while he fights the conviction, if necessary, all the way to the Supreme Court.