Donations to Whitman undercut her no-special-interests claim
Reports show the Republican candidate has received more money from outside donors than has her Democratic rival, Jerry Brown, whom she paints as beholden to unions.
By Michael J. Mishak and Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times
LA Times
October 6, 2010
Reporting from Sacramento
Donors with business before the state and corporate leaders poured millions of dollars into Meg Whitman's campaign in the last three months, potentially undercutting her claim that her personal fortune makes her uniquely free of special-interest entanglements, campaign disclosure reports filed Tuesday show.
Whitman, the billionaire former chief executive of online auction house EBay, raised more money from outside donors than her Democratic rival, Jerry Brown, whom she has criticized heavily for his dependence on support from the state's public employee unions. Whitman pulled in more than $10.7 million from individuals, businesses and other groups to Brown's $9.5 million.
Although those figures don't tell the whole story — unions and other special interests separately spent a further $13.7 million supporting Brown through independent political committees not controlled by the candidate — they highlight that Brown is not the only one getting a big assist from wealthy individuals and groups. More than one out of every four dollars Whitman raised over the last three months came from someplace other than her personal fortune. Donors giving the maximum allowable $25,900 donation to Whitman while lobbying state government include Philip Morris, AT&T, the Western States Growers and Golden State Water Co.
Whitman has support from at least one union – she has been the beneficiary of a $450,000 independent expenditure campaign by the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents LAPD officers. Whitman has proposed tough controls on public pensions, but less stringent changes for law enforcement officers.
(More here.)
By Michael J. Mishak and Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times
LA Times
October 6, 2010
Reporting from Sacramento
Donors with business before the state and corporate leaders poured millions of dollars into Meg Whitman's campaign in the last three months, potentially undercutting her claim that her personal fortune makes her uniquely free of special-interest entanglements, campaign disclosure reports filed Tuesday show.
Whitman, the billionaire former chief executive of online auction house EBay, raised more money from outside donors than her Democratic rival, Jerry Brown, whom she has criticized heavily for his dependence on support from the state's public employee unions. Whitman pulled in more than $10.7 million from individuals, businesses and other groups to Brown's $9.5 million.
Although those figures don't tell the whole story — unions and other special interests separately spent a further $13.7 million supporting Brown through independent political committees not controlled by the candidate — they highlight that Brown is not the only one getting a big assist from wealthy individuals and groups. More than one out of every four dollars Whitman raised over the last three months came from someplace other than her personal fortune. Donors giving the maximum allowable $25,900 donation to Whitman while lobbying state government include Philip Morris, AT&T, the Western States Growers and Golden State Water Co.
Whitman has support from at least one union – she has been the beneficiary of a $450,000 independent expenditure campaign by the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents LAPD officers. Whitman has proposed tough controls on public pensions, but less stringent changes for law enforcement officers.
(More here.)
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