11 Investigates: Campaign fundraiser raises questions after mayor pledges $1M for NFL draft

PITTSBURGH — Politics and football converged at Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore Wednesday night.

While the Steelers are headed to Cleveland for a Thursday night AFC North rival game you can see on Channel 11, Acrisure Stadium was buzzing with a fundraiser reception for Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s re-election campaign.

It comes just two months after the mayor quietly promised $1 million of Pittsburghers’ tax dollars to the NFL Draft.

>> City of Pittsburgh already starting preparations to host NFL Draft in 2026

Pittsburgh won the bid to host the draft in 2026. But now some are raising questions about the timing of the political fundraiser.

>> Pittsburgh selected to host 2026 NFL Draft

Chief Investigator Rick Earle spoke to other leaders about the reception.

It’s a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser for Mayor Gainey’s re-election campaign, and it’s sponsored by a handful of community leaders, including Pittsburgh Steelers Owner Art Rooney.

Supporters say there’s nothing out of the ordinary here. But critics wonder if there’s more at play, given the timing.

“It’s very troubling,” said Will Anderson, the chair of the Allegheny County Democratic Black Caucus.

Anderson is a frequent critic of the Gainey administration.

“As we’ve seen from this administration, a lot of backdoor deals have been made, agreements have been made at the costs of taxpayers’ expense,” said Anderson, while pointing to recent controversies, like the mayor’s secret deal allowing the police chief to return to officiating college basketball, a no-bid police staffing study contract, and hiring a friend to run the city’s Juneteenth celebration.

The mayor’s decision to give $1 million in tax dollars to the NFL Draft through Visit Pittsburgh drew criticism from some council members who were never consulted and said the city is facing a severe financial shortfall and doesn’t even have enough money to pave roads or maintain facilities.

>> New resolution would allocate $1M in taxpayer money to fund 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh

“We had no idea. I had no idea this was coming down the pike,” said Pittsburgh City Councilman Anthony Coghill back in September when he first learned about the Mayor’s commitment of a million dollars.

Pittsburgh City Council ultimately agreed to support the contribution and find the money, saying the NFL draft is important for the city and the region.

Earlier this week, Coghill said he will be meeting with Visit Pittsburgh to determine how the money will be used. He said he suspects it will go for marketing and promoting the NFL draft.

Coghill declined to comment on the fundraiser for the Mayor.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s campaign released a statement saying that the mayor worked hard to secure the draft along with others.

That statement also highlighted the national exposure Pittsburgh will receive and the economic impact of hosting the NFL draft in 2026.

“As any good mayor would, Mayor Gainey worked hard to help secure the 2026 NFL Draft for the City of Pittsburgh, alongside numerous other state and local officials, corporations, and nonprofits. The economic impact for the city and surrounding region is estimated to be between $120 million to upwards of $213 million – not to mention the great national exposure hosting the draft will afford the city, its residents, and our local businesses. Mayor Gainey’s success in bringing the NFL draft to Pittsburgh, over stiff competition from other cities, was motivated by the city’s and its citizens’ best interests and nothing more,” said Gainey campaign spokesperson Madison Jorfi.

Jimmie Sacco, the Vice President of Stadium Operations at Acrisure, is one of the sponsors of the reception for Mayor Gainey.

He sent a statement to 11 Investigates.

“We have hosted receptions for many elected officials over the years. We are happy to support Mayor Gainey as he is doing a great job leading our city through some challenging times,” said Sacco.

11 Investigates also spoke with Pittsburgh City Councilman Bobby Wilson, who represents the North Side.

“I’m only hearing about this from you. I didn’t get an invite,” said Wilson.

Councilman Wilson said fundraisers and receptions like this are not unique, and he said it’s part of the political process.

“It’s not uncommon for large entities and even like consultants, like different law firms, to host different fundraisers for different politicians,” said Wilson.

Mayor Gainey, who announced his re-election campaign a couple of months ago, won his first term by defeating incumbent Bill Peduto.

So far no one else has jumped into the mayoral race, but sources told 11 Investigates that others are seriously considering a run.

The primary is next May, just six months away.

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