2016 Dems and Bundlers

SECRETARY CLINTON WAS THE FIRST 2015 CANDIDATE TO VOLUNTEER TO DISCLOSE NAMES OF CAMPAIGN BUNDLERS New York Times: As Of July 2015, Secretary Clinton Was “The Only Candidate For President Who Has Volunteered To Disclose The Names Of Her Top Campaign Fund-Raisers.” “Mrs. Clinton, who has been criticized by Republican candidates for what they characterize as excessive secrecy, is now the only candidate for president who has volunteered to disclose the names of her top campaign fund-raisers. No Republican candidate has pledged to disclose his or her bundlers, and the last Republican candidate to do so was John McCain in 2008.” [New York Times, 7/13/15] O’MALLEY WAS A 2012 OBAMA CAMPAIGN BUNDLER IN 2012 Martin O’Malley Was An Obama Campaign Bundler In 2012 And May Win Some Other Former Obama Bundlers Over To His Side. “A Wall Street Journal survey of many of the top Obama fundraisers found that some are backing other candidates or weighing their options. Interviews with donors also found that Mr. O’Malley, a former Maryland governor, is making an aggressive push to win their allegiance. Mr. O’Malley, who was an Obama fundraising ‘bundler,’ has deep ties to the Obama campaign finance apparatus and has won sympathetic hearings or outright support from several of the people who helped pay for the $1.1 billion Obama re-election campaign…Interviews suggest Mr. O’Malley has the potential to pry loose some of Mrs. Clinton’s support, aided by his links to the Obama fundraising team. Mr. O’Malley raised more than a half-million dollars for Mr. Obama in 2012, when he was governor.” [Wall Street Journal, 6/11/15] BERNIE SANDERS CLAIMED HE DID NOT PLAN TO ACCEPT CHECKS FROM BUNDLERS DURING HIS 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN Politico: The Bernie Sanders Campaign “Does Not Want To Spend Time Courting Major Donors Or Enlisting Them To Bundle Money In The Way That Clinton Has With Her ‘Hillraisers’ Program… The Campaign Is Open To Accepting Money From Billionaires As Long As It’s Just The Maximum Legal Donation For Any Donor — $2,700.” “In order to meet his fundraising goal, Sanders will travel sporadically to New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago and other Democratic strongholds in the coming months to raise cash, according to Sanders’ advisers. But the campaign does not want to spend time courting major donors or enlisting them to bundle money in the way that Clinton has with her ‘Hillraisers’ program. ‘He does not want to be the kind of candidate who builds his candidacy around going to fundraising events,’ said Sanders senior adviser Mark Longabaugh. Longabaugh clarified that the campaign is open to accepting money from billionaires as long as it’s just the maximum legal donation for any donor — $2,700. ‘That’s quite a bit different than Jeb Bush collecting $100 million with a super PAC,’ he said.” [Politico, 6/28/15] PRESIDENT OBAMA RELEASED CAMPAIGN BUNDLER NAMES IN 2008 AND 2012 New York Times: By Revealing The Names Of Her Bundlers, Secretary Clinton “Will Be Following In The Tradition Of President Obama, Who Disclosed Bundlers To Both Of His Presidential Campaigns.” “Mrs. Clinton, who has made overhauling campaign laws and reducing the influence of campaign money a centerpiece of her campaign, will be following in the tradition of President Obama, who disclosed bundlers to both of his presidential campaigns.” [New York Times, 7/13/15] JOE BIDEN DID NOT APPEAR TO RELEASE BUNDLER NAMES DURING HIS 2008 CAMPAIGN Washington Post Editorial: Joe Biden Had Not Released 2008 Bundler Names By July 2007. “In addition, some of the more long-shot campaigns have never bothered to answer our questions about plans to reveal their bundlers: Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), to name two. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) has released one list; given his key legislative position, such disclosure should be a regular occurrence. These candidates don't get the same scrutiny as the front-runners, but, particularly for elected officials, the identities of their bundlers matters, too.”[Washington Post, 7/11/07]

AFTER INITIALLY HOLDING OUT, CLINTON RELEASED NAMES FOR HER ‘HILLRAISERS,’ WHO HAD EACH BUNDLED AT LEAST $100,000, DURING HER 2008 CAMPAIGN Washington Post Editorial: By February 2007, Clinton Was The Only Prominent Presidential Candidate Who Had Not Agreed To Release The Names Of Her Bundlers. “While campaigns are required to report the names of individuals who contribute the maximum $2,300, they don't have to provide the really important information: Who are the well-connected fundraisers helping them bring in big bundles of cash? That's why we've been suggesting that the presidential candidates should release voluntarily the identities of their big bundlers and, within some range, the amounts they raised. In the past few days, two leading contenders, Democrat John Edwards and Republican Rudolph W. Giuliani, agreed to provide such disclosure. They join Democrat Barack Obama and Republicans John McCain and Mitt Romney, who had already made that promise. You may have noticed one prominent figure absent from this picture: Hillary Rodham Clinton. Ms. Clinton, who raised almost $40 million for her Senate reelection campaign, has assembled a formidable fundraising machine. Her campaign is tasking its biggest bundlers with bringing in $1 million or more. Her campaign solicits ‘Hillraisers’ to enlist online and set their own fundraising goals. In other words, the campaign is fully aware of how much individual fundraisers collect on its behalf. But voters remain in the dark about the identities of those to whom candidate Clinton -- or President Clinton -- might be beholden.” [Washington Post, 2/25/07] Hillary Clinton Released The Names Of 84 Bundlers Of At Least $100,000 Each In April 2007. “Mrs. Clinton, though, depended even more heavily on a relatively narrow base of wealthy and committed donors who contributed about $19 million. More than 5,100 gave about the legal limit of $2,300 to her primary campaign, contributing more than $11.7 million, nearly two thirds of her primary fund. What is more, nearly 3,000 of those who had already hit the $2,300 limit for the primary also contributed $2,300 toward her general election fund. Mrs. Clinton's campaign also released its own list of 84 bundlers who had each collected $100,000 or more in checks for her campaign, together accounting for at least $8.4 million.” [New York Times, 4/16/07] Hillary Clinton Had Released The Names Of 95 Bundlers By May 2007. “Clinton's decision to rely on lobbyists to help her raise money may give her a big edge over her Democratic opponents. Lobbyists are well-known for their contacts with deep-pocketed clients, and they have more time to dedicate to helping candidates get cash. Indeed, many see it as an integral part of their strategy to develop and nurture relationships with influential lawmakers who hold sway over legislative and regulatory decisions that could affect their clients. The New York senator's campaign has released the names of 95 bundlers so far, and several prominent lobbying personalities are in the pack.” [Politico, 5/16/07] According To Public Citizen, Hillary Clinton Released Names Of 312 Bundlers During Her 2008 Campaign. [Public Citizen, accessed 7/13/15] BOTH GEORGE W. BUSH AND JOHN KERRY RELEASED NAMES OF BUNDLERS IN 2004 Bush And Kerry Released The Names Of Their Bundlers During The 2004 Primaries. “During the 2004 primaries, Bush and Democratic rival Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) quietly released the names of 1,112 individual bundlers who delivered a collective total of at least $118 million to the two campaigns and likely much more.” [Roll Call, 2/8/07] SCANDALS SURROUNDING BILL CLINTON’S 1996 CAMPAIGN LED TO 22 GUILTY PLEAS FROM CLINTON DONORS Fundraising Scandals Related To Bill Clinton’s 1996 Presidential Campaign Ultimately Led To 22 Guilty Pleas On Various Violations Of Election Laws… A Total Of 120 Participants In The Fund- Raising Scandal Either Fled The Country, Asserted Their Fifth Amendment Privilege Against Self- Incrimination, Or Otherwise Avoided Questioning.” ““All of this recalls the 1996 Bill Clinton fund- raising scandal, which ultimately led to 22 guilty pleas on various violations of election laws. Among the Clinton fundraisers and friends who pleaded guilty were John Huang, Charlie Trie, James Riady and

Michael Brown, son of the late Clinton commerce secretary Ron Brown. But a lot was never learned, even after the revelations that Mr. Clinton had personally authorized offering donors use of the Lincoln Bedroom and Oval Office meetings. A total of 120 participants in the fund-raising scandal either fled the country, asserted their Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination, or otherwise avoided questioning.” [Wall Street Journal, 9/10/07]