Dean has recieved a number of contributions from large organizations made to look smaller by using the process of bundling, which is to take a large contribution, and make it look like many small ones by breaking it up into smaller contributions form the employees of an organization. The University of California gave Dean 67,000 dollars by engaging in this practice, in which te organization gives the money, in the name of their employees, who may or may not have supported the candidate:
If you look at this article, Deans first contributions came from energy sources, and receive 5000 dllars from one source, which is in excess of the 2000 dollar individual limit.
http://timesargus.com/Legislature/Story/43125.htmlDean raises money from energy sources
February 27, 2002
By David Gram
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MONTPELIER — When Gov. Howard Dean wanted to raise money for a possible presidential bid, he followed the example of a former governor of Texas and called on his friends in the energy industry.
Nearly a fifth of the roughly $111,000 collected in its first months by Dean’s presidential political action committee, the Fund for a Healthy America, came from people with ties to Vermont’s electric utilities, according to a recent Federal Elections Commission filing.
One donor who gave Dean’s PAC the maximum amount allowed — $5,000 — said he did so because he and his wife “agree with many of the things the fund is talking about — fiscal conservatism, education, health care.”
http://timesargus.com/Legislature/Story/43125.htmlThe only reason that Dean can claim that his campaign is funded by small contributions is that he will not open the list of contributors to allow examinations to see if any of it is bundled contributions.
The money he got from the energy industry, the very first money he collected in his campaign, certainly show all of the signs of bundling, in which an organization takes a large sum, and divided it up into smaller sums from "individuals" within that organization.
The Center for Public Integrity released a book today, "The Buying of the President 2004," which profiles the fundraising of all the major party candidates for president, and tracks each candidate's relationship to his or her "career patrons," those who have given to the candidate throughout his or her career.
The Center for Public Integrity released a book today, "The Buying of the President 2004," which profiles the fundraising of all the major party candidates for president, and tracks each candidate's relationship to his or her "career patrons," those who have given to the candidate throughout his or her career.
According to the book, corporate scandal poster-child Enron is still the career leader for President Bush, having given over $600,000 to the various Bush campaigns. Dean's largest backer, at over $60,000, is Time Warner, while Kerry has received $230,796 from his No. 1 backer, law firm Mintz, Levin, Cohen, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo.
http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/blog/index.cfm?startrow=41&maxrows=20An article that is a little old indicated that Dean's largest campaign contributions came from a large corporations AOL TIME WARNER.
Kerry's largest contribution was much larger and came from lawyers, but this law firm is a highly activist law firm, politivcally engaged in liberal causes, and is another case of bundling. A bunch of lawyers who like John Kerry got together and deonted to him. Snce they all work for one corporation it is treated as one corporation.
I personally worked for a law firm that has also contributed to Kerry. The head of the firm who also contributed to both Kerry and Bob Graham was the first person in the entire United Sttes to demand the impeachment of Richard Nixon after Watergate, so contributions from lawyers or lawfirms are not in particularyl bad corporate contributions. Not even corporate contributions in reality, as most law firms are not corporations, but in fact, pprofessional associations. Time Warner, thats a corporation, with lobbyists, and legislation it wants passed regarding regulatory matters. Lawyers rarely have isued which involve regulatory legislation that affects their profits. Occasionally, but not on the regular basis that places like Time Warner do.
The only thing that makes Deans campaign "people powered" is the way Dean has decided to define the bundling of money from large corporations, as from small contributors, by breaking up the large donation, into smaller ones.
For example Rob Reiner gave a small house party and raised 125,000 for Dean, in much larger than 100 dollar chunks.There were not 1250 people in Reiners home giving 100 dollars each.
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Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor, has benefited from supporters who can leverage their extensive contacts into campaign donations. Actor-director Rob Reiner raised $125,000 for Dean at an event at his house in Los Angeles on June 18.
http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=BundlingOther candidates have been more up front and open about their contributionms and who they have come from. There are a number of other coporations in the telecommunications industry. like Time Warner who have donated large sums to Dean, but in order to meet Deans criteria, the donations are divided into smaller packets , from individuals. so that Dean can state that his contributions come from the little people.
It is a matters of semanatics and figuring. Since Dean is claiming that this money comes from small individuals, they can get around the rules requiring that the list be opened to the public.
But there is some evidence that Dean is using the last loophole that allows a cndidate to get around campign finace reforms.
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