Democratic Party fundraising effort helps Clinton find new donors, too

[think]

Democratic Party fundraising effort helps Clinton find new donors, too

By Matea Gold and Tom Hamburger February 20 2016

~Snip~

A record 32 state parties signed on to the fund, allowing the committee to solicit donations 130 times greater than what a supporter can give to Clinton’s campaign for the primary.

But the states have yet to see a financial windfall. Meanwhile, Clinton’s campaign has been a major beneficiary, getting an infusion of low-dollar contributions through the committee at a time when rival Bernie Sanders’s army of small donors is helping him close in on her financially. The fund is run by Clinton campaign staff, and its treasurer is Clinton’s chief operating officer.

~Snip~

The early, expansive use of a jumbo-size joint fundraising committee shows how the Clinton campaign has worked to maximize donations from wealthy supporters, seizing on rules loosened by the Supreme Court.

Many states were wary of joining the effort, worried that such a partnership would be perceived as an endorsement of Clinton and might interfere with their efforts to raise money from home state donors. But campaign officials — including Marlon Marshall, Clinton’s director of state campaigns — emphasized that this was a way to strengthen the party at its roots, a message Clinton echoed in the speech she delivered at the Minneapolis meeting to DNC members.

~Snip~

So far, the state parties have served only as a pass-through for their share of the funds. Campaign finance records show that nearly $2 million in donations to the fund initially routed last year to individual state party accounts was immediately transferred to the DNC, which is laboring to pay off millions of dollars in debt.

~Snip~

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Lawrence Noble, a former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) who is now with the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center. “Joint victory funds are not intended to be separate operating committees that just support a single candidate. But they appear to be turning the traditional notion of a joint committee into a Hillary fundraising committee.”...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democratic-party-fundraising-effort-helps-clinton-find-new-donors-too/2016/02/19/b8535cea-d68f-11e5-b195-2e29a4e13425_story.html

[djean111]

1. So much for that ridiculous "Bernie doesn't fund raise for down ticket" bullshit.

Yes, he does - and furthermore, he does not take money meant for down ticket.

Looks like the DNC is really just another Slush Fund for Hillary.

[think]

3. I was truly stunned when I read this article. I had no idea Hillary would use the funds like this. /

[Kip Humphrey]

4. So much for Clinton funding down ticket Democrats. Looks like another Clinton scam. Not surprised.

[BernieforPres2016]

6. Yeah, it's exactly the opposite, states kicking upticket to Hillary

Check out those $35 Hillary t-shirts. Designed to evade contribution limits. Place a bulk order for those t-shirts made overseas at a cost of a buck apiece and forget about those campaign spending limits!

Bernie needs to run third party if he doesn't win the nomination. This is a complete farce.

[jwirr]

7. LOL. Read How Hillary Clinton Bought the Loyalty of 33 State

Democratic Parties.

As a delegate I am pisssssed. Why did those of us in those 33 states even voting - it doesn't count.

Each state needs to come out and be honest with the voters in their election. And their super-delegates have to recognize that this leads to total lake of trust on the part ot those voters.

IMO the states should reveal how much money they have donated to Hillary through this deal and she should return it to them and the donors. We do not need dirty money.

Come on Democrats come clean.

[think]

8. That is a great article. Posting the link here for DUers who haven't seen it:

http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/04/01/how-hillary-clinton-bought-the-loyalty-of-33-state-democratic-parties/