Schiff up with Senate site, raises $465k

Connecticut investment advisor Peter Schiff (R) is up with a new website for his exploratory Senate campaign (www.schiffforsenate.com), and the site reports he has already raised $465,000 online for his bid.

Schiff is one of four Republicans running for the right to face Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) next year, and he looks to be successfully tapping many of the libertarian-leaning donors who helped long shot presidential candidate Ron Paul raise big money for his campaign. Schiff served as an adviser to Paul’s campaign.

Like Paul, Schiff has been the beneficiary of a series of one-day fundraising moneybombs, in which donors all wait until a single day to donate to a campaign in hopes of making a splash in the news. Another one is being held Friday that Schiff’s team hopes will raise more than $200,000.

The money raised online by Schiff puts him right up there, moneywise, with the two leading GOP Senate candidates. In the second quarter, former Rep. Rob Simmons raised $750,000, while former Ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley raised $530,000.