October Surprise?

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by: Laughing Boy

The Obama campaign has shattered all fund-raising records, raking in $458 million so far, with about half the bounty coming from donors who contribute $200 or less. Aides say that’s an illustration of a truly democratic campaign. To critics, though, it can be an invitation for fraud and illegal foreign cash because donors giving individual sums of $200 or less don’t have to be publicly reported. Consider the cases of Obama donors “Doodad Pro” of Nunda, N.Y., who gave $17,130, and “Good Will” of Austin, Texas, who gave more than $11,000-both in excess of the $2,300-per-person federal limit. In two recent letters to the Obama campaign, Federal Election Commission auditors flagged those (and other) donors and informed the campaign that the sums had to be returned. Neither name had ever been publicly reported because both individuals made online donations in $10 and $25 increments. “Good Will” listed his employer as “Loving” and his occupation as “You,” while supplying as his address 1015 Norwood Park Boulevard, which is shared by the Austin nonprofit Goodwill Industries. Suzanha Burmeister, marketing director for Goodwill, said the group had “no clue” who the donor was. She added, however, that the group had received five puzzling thank-you letters from the Obama campaign this year, prompting it to send the campaign an e-mail in September pointing out the apparent fraudulent use of its name.

“Doodad Pro” listed no occupation or employer; the contributor’s listed address is shared by Lloyd and Lynn’s Liquor Store in Nunda. “I have never heard of such an individual,” says Diane Beardsley, who works at the store and is the mother of one of the owners. “Nobody at this store has that much money to contribute.” (She added that a Doodad’s Boutique, located next door, had closed a year ago, before the donations were made.)

I’m starting to hear about a little of this, as well as trying to tie Fannie/Freddie to Sen. Obama.

The debate Tuesday night could get chippy.

6 thoughts on “October Surprise?”

DavidThi808 says:

October 6, 2008 at 6:13 pm

Although those two take the cake. But this strikes me as a fishing expedition. Yes, there is such a very large number of donations, they probably will find 1 or 2 that are illegal. Probably a smaller number of illegal ones to the McCain campaign. It’s the law of large numbers.

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1. Laughing Boy says:
  
  October 6, 2008 at 6:37 pm
  
  From the same article…
  
  This summer, watchdog groups asked both campaigns to share more information about its small donors. The McCain campaign agreed; the Obama campaign did not. “They could’ve done themselves a service” by heeding the suggestions, said Massie Ritsch of the Center for Responsive Politics.
  
  That’s ChangeВ®?
  
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  1. DavidThi808 says:
    
    October 6, 2008 at 10:24 pm
    
    That was just 3 donations – a lot less work.
    
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    1. redstateblues says:
      
      October 6, 2008 at 10:25 pm
      
      n/t
      
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Go Blue says:

October 6, 2008 at 11:50 pm

FEC Queries McCain Campaign on ‘Excessive Contributions’

While the Republican Party is pushing the Federal Election Commission to investigate the possibility that Democrat Barack Obama collected excessive contributions, its own candidate is facing scrutiny on the same subject.

The FEC sent a letter to Sen. John McCain’s campaign treasurer Sept. 30 demanding the candidate turn over more information about “contributions that appear to exceed the limits.”

The letter is accompanied by a nine-page list showing scores of overages from McCain’s August campaign finance report, including nearly $13,000 from Texas rancher Ray R. Barrett Jr.; $9,200 from an Iraqi security consultant, H. Carter Andress; and $5,000 from Joseph F. Davolio, an executive at a major national liquor, beer, and wine distributor.

“Please inform the Commission of your corrective action immediately in writing and provide photocopies of any refund checks and/or letters reattributing or redesignating the contributions in question,” the letter from the FEC’s senior campaign finance analyst, Leah S. Palmer, says. “The acceptance of excessive contributions is a serious problem.”

The stink of hypocrisy from the McCain campaign has been increasingly foul.

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Barron X says:

October 7, 2008 at 8:52 am

.

those darn contributors know the limits, and are just trying to sabotage John and Barack.

.

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