DNC Host Committee Asks Court to Keep Donor List Under Wraps
By Maryclaire Dale. The host committee for the Democratic National Convention wants to keep its donor list under wraps until after the convention even though a state open records agency has ordered its release.
A Philadelphia 2016 Host Committee lawyer told a judge Thursday the release of fundraising records could harm the organization’s last-minute efforts to seek donations and negotiate vendor contracts.
Lawyer David Pittinsky said those efforts were still ongoing even though the four-day convention starts Monday. (Read more from “DNC Host Committee Asks Court to Keep Donor List Under Wraps” HERE)
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Top Clinton Lobbyist Bundlers Tied to Foreign Banks, Governments
By Joe Schoffstall. A number of Hillary Clinton’s top lobbyist bundlers, who have raised millions for her presidential campaign, either directly represent foreign entities or work at firms that represent foreign entities, according to documents from the Justice Department’s Foreign Agents Registration Unit.
Hillary for America, Clinton’s campaign committee, has hauled in more than $7 million in bundled lobbyist contributions since its inception. The committee finished 2015 with $4.1 million in bundled lobbyist contributions. It has since added more than $2.9 million to its coffers from lobbyists, with $1.2 million of that amount pouring in during the second quarter of 2016, from April 1 to June 30.
Tony Podesta, owner of the Podesta Group and brother of John Podesta, the chairman of Clinton’s campaign, is a top bundler for Hillary for America. Podesta has bundled $267,835 in contributions to date. Podesta was hired to work on behalf of Saudi interests.
Saudi Arabia has built an extensive lobbying and public relations presence in the United States, the Washington Post reported in April. It has also supplied the Clinton Foundation with millions. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has given between $10 and $25 million to the foundation while Friends of Saudi Arabia has contributed between $1 and $5 million. (Read more from “Top Clinton Lobbyist Bundlers Tied to Foreign Banks, Governments” HERE)
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