BU donor gives money to Romney campaign, PACs

David Mugar, a philanthropist who has given money to Boston University, donated money to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.

The chief executive officer of Mugar Enterprises gave $250,000 in December 2011 to Restore Our Future, an independent political action committee backing Romney as the Republican nominee. The Federal Election Commission revealed the group’s financial report on Tuesday night, including a list of donors.

Restore Our Future, like other PACs, is legally separate from the candidate, so the limit of $2,500 per donor to any campaign does not apply.

Mugar donated the maximum of $2,500 to Romney’s campaign in 2011 before giving money to the PAC. He also donated $5,000 to Romney’s previous PAC, Free and Strong America, according to FEC reports.

FEC reports stated Mugar donated to Sen. Scott Brown and Rep. Stephen Lynch in 2010.

Thirty-four others, primarily private equity and financial industry executives, contributed at least as much as Mugar did to the “super PAC,” according to a recent article in The New York Times.

Through Dec. 31, the PAC raised over $30 million in donations total, placing it financially far ahead of any of the other super PACs, especially those supporting Romney’s Republican rival Newt Gingrich.

Mugar has had a history of donations to BU, starting with his father Stephen Mugar, who founded the Star Market supermarket chain. Stephen gave part of his fortune to build the Mugar Library in commemoration of his parents.

BU received a $3 million donation from David toward Mugar Library in 2002, and the donation was later distributed to WGBH-TV and Cape Cod Hospital at Mugar’s requests.

Stephen has made several contributions in the Boston area, including Mugar Hall at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, the Mugar Life Sciences Building at Northeastern University and the Mugar Omni Theater at the Museum of Science.

The Mugar Enterprises executive was unavailable for comment at press time.