In June, Harold C. Simmons, a wealthy Texas businessman, sent a $100,000 check to Americans for Rick Perry, a super PAC preparing for Perry's entry into the presidential race. In December, Simmons wrote another check, this one for $500,000, to Winning Our Future, a super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich.

But Simmons was not done. In mid-January, as Gingrich was headed toward a victory in the South Carolina primary, Simmons wrote a $100,000 check to Restore Our Future, the super PAC supporting Mitt Romney. And toward the end of the month, as Restore Our Future used his money to help bludgeon Gingrich with attack ads in Florida, Simmons sent yet another $500,000 check to Gingrich's super PAC.

"He generally supports conservative Republican candidates," said Chuck McDonald, a spokesman for Simmons. "I assume he was just trying to be helpful."