FUNDING THE RECOUNT -- See this before you donate

I am seeing SO much misinformation running around about this, and all kinds of websites being posted for donations. This is an effort to clarify, from what I know about things.

By all means, donate wherever you want to, but I really think it's important for people to understand where their money is going.

It was DUers who started this whole ball rolling -- IdaBriggs who discovered the NH anomalies, and hedda-foil, a co-founder of the National Ballot Integrity Project who, with some of her colleagues followed up by many faxes to Nader by DUers and Randi Rhodes' listeners, got Ralph Nader to request the NH recount just before last Friday's 5 pm deadline.

Hedda and her group and Bev Harris of BBV.org subsequently formed a 527 specifically to help fund these recounts. Why? Because neither the National Ballot Integrity Project nor BBV.ORG could LEGALLY contribute to funding the recount themselves. Therefore, any donations to either of these two groups will NOT go to funding recounts -- but donations to the 527 specifically WILL.

Donations to BBV.org WILL go, however, to other important work because they're sending massive FOIA requests all around the country. The website Rhodes is now promoting also says that money will (partially?) go to funding the recount.

You can also donate to the Green Party candidate (Cobb) who is requesting a recount in Ohio, and/or to Nader's campaign funds who is requesting the recount in NH, but be advised that your funds COULD concievably be used for other things as well. Don't know that they will be, but they might. Let's try this scenario: let's say Ralph accumulates hundreds of thousands for the NH recount, but it only costs $80K. He would be under no obligation to refund anyone's money and could use the excess for another campaign, for this campaign's debts (if any), and I think he could even contribute to others' campaigns from his campaign funds (I think -- not sure).

I therefore recommend that anyone who wants to specifically help refund the recounts contribute to the 527 set up by DUers who got this whole thing rolling:

Link: www.helpamericarecount.org



Additional Info:


*****Want to Help America Recount? The website is UP!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1344801
Link: www.helpamericarecount.org

***** Donations for the Recount" Fundraising Kit > > >
(Use this to send to your friends -- enormous amount of info -- pick and choose what you need)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x37833


BACKGROUND:
DU INFO ALERT: Why Recounting in New Hampshire Could Save Democracy
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2617155

Need Some DU Help w/New Hampshire Stuff!!! (URGENT)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=26802&mesg_id=26802

RALPH NADER MAY SAVE THE WORLD!!! (Its NOT Over in NH!) Updated Fri 8:15p
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x25116

Nader requests NH vote recount. (Did we just make a huge blunder?)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=965216

Nader, Cobb and Badnarik may all be willing to look into recounts in Ohio
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x26843

This is going to take a LOT of money. Also send info to all your friends and family, etc. The "Fundraising Kit" link above has a great letter (thanks, Stephanie) you can use (or adapt).

It can easily cost $80K in NH, possibly several hundred thousand $ in OH, and God only knows what Jeb will want to charge for it in FL.

I can understand folks concerns about not being sure how contributions might be used.

I am the treasurer of record for the Cobb/LaMarche campaign. My name is Dean Myerson and you can check that I am the treasurer on the FEC website (though I don't know how to prove my identity to this list).

Feel free to ask me questions on this list or by direct email if you have concerns as to how we might use money received. We are well on the way to raising money for the Ohio recount and we are upfront about the need for some extra funds to support that, such as to pay for David Cobb to go to Ohio to puoblicize the issue. Michael Badnarik, the Libertarian candidate, is also raising money, and we are talking with to see how the cooperation works.

If the support is there, we could take on additional related issues, like supporting research of exit polls or recounts elsewhere. But that decision has not been made.

Dean Myerson
Treasurer, Cobb/LaMarche
www.votecobb.org
deanmyerson1@starpower.net

I am impressed with your site, that shows donations already collected. Thank you so much for what you are doing. How much, if any, money have you received from the 527 fund? As it states the money will be divided up for different recounts.

It was getting confusing.

Go ahead and donate directly to Nader -- but see the complete update below. This was posted by hedda_foil to this thread (see Post #5):

FUNDING THE RECOUNTS -- See this before you donate
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=201x2617

Right now, Nader has a check box under the donation amount on his contributions page to specify that your donation goes only to the recount. You can safely donate directly to him IF you check that box ... and we really need to show good faith by bringing some contributions in that way. Unfortunately, his General Counsel won't take contributions any other way because they haven't set up an official recount fund. They're using a separate bank account instead. It works, and the money is segregated from general campaign funds, but it brings in all kinds of FEC restrictions that wouldn't apply if they had set up a separate recount fund.

Nevertheless, to get NH recounted, we do need to get people to donate directly into the recount account there. Not much has come in because, let's face it, only Nader can get his own (non-Repub) donors to donate, and Dems have a very bad taste in their mouth about him. I hope you'll donate because this is OUR fight Nader is fronting here.

If you can't bring yourself to put your money in the Nader recount account, even though it's directly for the BBV cause, OR if you want to help fund the recounts in Ohio and Florida, PLEASE contribute to http://www.helpamericarecount.org .

Thanks, all.

It prompted me to give another $100 to the Nadar recount fund. I gave to BBV, helpamericacount, the Randi Rhodes recommended one, and now Nadar for NH. I think I've got the donation bases covered for the moment! Hope enough folks get the message in time to adequately fund the NH recount.

I wanted to contribute to the cause, but I have very mixed feelings about one of the organizations. Now I have a choice.

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On Friday, payday, i'll donate to helpamericarecount too.

Please pass is along to your email list. Democracy is hanging in the balance.

Thanks, Eloriel, for the clarification!

Make yours heard.

Your post is great.

We really need to do these recounts.

but can you tell me if there will be an accounting. I would like to see some kind of spreadsheet or something to tell me how much was donated and how much spent and where it was spent. Thanks. I don't mean to throw a wrench into it but I think there must be some sort of report given.

and a donation on the way.

This is a lot more important than any old primary, so if you have given to the democratic party before in the hopes of ousting the murderer, you should give now!

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refunded to donors, since the funds can only be used for the recounts. Is that really true? - K

I thought she was promoting Alliance For America??? Where should I donate to make the MOST difference.

Also, can SOMEONE tell me IF WE THE PEOPLE are going to have a PROTEST in Washington D.C.????

A.N.S.W.E.R. say it's going to have one on Inauguration Day, but in my opinion that's not a good day. We NEED to have one BEFORE the Inauguration or right AFTER the Inauguration!! They'll only confuse the people Protesting and say they are SUPPORTERS!! Think about THE MEDIA HAS BEEN BOUGHT!! They are doing everything they can to keep our voices from being heard!!

I appreciate the clarification.

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before I go to bed!
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One.More.KICK! :kick:

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careful folks.

to grease the wheels of change. Legal action is legal action but don't think for a minute that those responding to that legal action, including judges, are unmoved by political uproar. We need to march in the streets against the rigged election to move the legal machinery along. Check out the blog link below.

The vast right wing conspiracy that rigged the election and everything else including the news media is not a myth, exaggeration or figure of speech. Check this out, very important blog with master plan for aggressive action on multiple fronts:

http://wholeworldiswatching.blogspot.com/

•A call for massive marches against the rigged election.
•A detailed explanation of the “vast right wing conspiracy,” its structure and funding. What it really is, how it got started, who really controls it and how it coordinates EVERYTHING.
•Actual secret government document is plan to control the whole country. Actual documentary proof of the “vast right wing conspiracy.”
•How the Moonies, Rupert Murdoch, the oil industry, banks and other corporations, news media and other right wing Bush shills rigging the election are all actually tied together into a single secret organization -- the vast right wing conspiracy. It’s not just a vague propensity toward greed. It’s not just a right wing “mindset.” It’s an organization. This explains what you always wondered about. And if they have denied us the ballot box we need to march in the streets, a First Amendment freedom we still have---

A call for MASSIVE MARCHES IN THE STREETS against the rigged election and the VRWC.

Please read the link, post on sites and forums and forward this to others on your email lists.

Thanks, Eloriel

Kick.

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Hekate