Hedge fund manager Ken Griffin backing Rubio for president

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hedge fund manager Ken Griffin of Citadel will support Republican U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida for president in 2016, the billionaire said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Senator Rubio is uniquely qualified to lead our nation with conviction and courage to tackle the pressing issues of our time," Griffin said, citing strengthening the U.S. military and reducing the size of government as key challenges.

Griffin will raise money for Rubio and contribute "several million dollars" to an outside group supporting him, according to CNBC, which first reported the billionaire's plans.

Citadel spokesman Zia Ahmed confirmed those plans.

Alex Conant, a spokesman for Rubio, confirmed that Griffin would back the senator but gave no details about his involvement. A spokesman for Rubio's Super PAC did not respond to a request for comment.

Rubio has lagged some Republican opponents in fund-raising, coming in behind former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas in the last quarter.

But Rubio has picked up some big-time backers recently. Another billionaire, investor Paul Singer, threw his support behind Rubio and sent a letter to other donors in October urging them to back the lawmaker.

(Reporting by Emily Stephenson; Editing by Leslie Adler, Bernard Orr)

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