Obama buying endorsements?

Obama PAC Is Active In Key Election States
N.H., S.C. Lawmakers Receive Funds

By John Solomon
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, November 26, 2007;


When Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) launched his presidential campaign in January, he stopped raising money for his Hopefund, the political action committee he used to raise millions for fellow Democrats in previous campaigns. But in recent months, Obama has handed out more than $180,000 from the nearly dormant PAC to local Democratic groups and candidates in the key early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, campaign reports show.

Some of the recipients of Hopefund's largess are state and local politicians who have recently endorsed Obama's presidential bid. Obama's PAC reported giving a $1,000 contribution, for instance, to New Hampshire state Sen. Jacalyn Cilley on July 25, six days before she announced she was endorsing Obama for president.

Likewise, state Rep. J. Todd Rutherford, a lawmaker from South Carolina, received a $1,000 contribution from Obama's PAC on Sept. 24, a few months after he endorsed Obama.

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Obama spokesman Joshua Earnest said there was no connection between the PAC's giving and Obama's presidential aspirations. "Senator Obama long has been doing whatever he can to help elect fellow Democrats all across the country," Earnest said.

Fundraising vehicles known as leadership PACs, which can raise money in much larger chunks than candidates can for their own campaigns, have been a frequent target for criticism by watchdog groups. They argue that leadership PACs allow candidates to skirt campaign contribution and donation limits.

Scott Thomas, a Democrat and a former FEC chairman, said "there's probably no doubt" the PAC donations were aimed at increasing support for Obama's presidential race. "But in my experience, the commission has not had the stomach to reach out and characterize those kinds of contributions as impermissible," Thomas said.

Kent Cooper, the FEC's retired chief of public disclosure, said the commission, if it chose, could declare that Obama's presidential campaign and PAC were "affiliated," meaning some activities involving the PAC could be declared in-kind contributions to the presidential campaign that would exceed current donation limits.

"At this stage of the race, for a presidential candidate, it is a brazen effort to use every avenue to influence an election," Cooper said."I can't believe the Obama people can keep a straight face and claim these aren't part of the presidential race."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/25/AR2007112501454.html

Among the local officials who received $1,000 from Obama's Hopefund PAC were New Hampshire state senators Harold Janeway, Jackie Cilley and Martha Fuller Clark. All have endorsed Obama.

The PAC also contributed $1,000 each to Sens. Iris Estabrook, Kathleen Sgambati and Lou D'Allesandro, all of whom later endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton. The PAC gave $6,000 to Gov. John Lynch's campaign war chest; Lynch has not endorsed in the presidential contest.

Ten county Democratic committees in New Hampshire received $1,000 each from Obama's PAC and the state Democratic Party received $5,000. The Iowa Senate Majority fund and the Iowa House Truman Fund, political groups that assist local legislative candidates, received $30,000 each from the PAC. Their New Hampshire counterparts received $15,000 each.

The Hopefund also contributed to 62 Democratic senators, congressmen and federal candidates across the country in contributions ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. Among the recipients were Democratic Reps. Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes of New Hampshire, who received $4,000 each, and U.S. Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, $5,000.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7081378,00.html