year-end fi gures for 2007, the FEC
asked that some of these contribu-
tions be reassigned. The Obama
camp complied sluggishly, prompt-
ing a more detailed admonishment
from the FEC on July 30.
The campaign sent the last of the
money back only after Newsmax pub-
licized this case in late September.
With more than half of the Obama
campaign’s contributions coming
from small donors who don’t need
to be identifi ed fully, it’s entirely
likely that the Edwan brothers were
not alone among foreign nationals
backing the campaign.
When Newsmax pored over the
campaign fi nance records, more than
65,000 Obama donations appeared
to be conversions of foreign cur-
rency. According to our analysis of
the Obama campaign data, foreign
currency donations could range any-
where from $12.8 million to a stun-
ning $63 million. to dollar amounts. That’s more than tributions are extremely unusual.
Not all of those were as obvious 10 percent of the total number of “I’ve never seen this in all my
as donations made by folks listing unique donors whose names the years of raising money for political
Beirut or Gaza as their home. Obama campaign has disclosed. candidates,” he said. “The fi rst thing
When Newsmax contacted John Of those, 44,410 contributions it suggests is foreign currency trans-
Atkinson, an insurance agent in came in unrounded amounts of less actions — contributions from foreign
Burr Ridge, Ill., he refused to dis- than $100. Another 15,269 contribu- donors, which is clearly illegal.”
cuss his contributions, which totaled tions gave in unrounded amounts Top Republican fundraiser Steve
$8,724.26, before numerous refunds. between $101 and $999, while 704 of Gordon, who has raised $65 million
Atkinson and many others gave in the unrounded contributions were in for GOP candidates during the past
odd amounts: $188.67, $1,542.06, amounts of more than $1,000. 30 years, told Newsmax that such
$876.09, $388.67, $282.20, $195.66, Campaign fi nance experts fi nd contributions in uneven amounts
$118.15, and one rounded contribu- the frequent appearance of unround- would be “pretty unusual.”
tion of $2,300. ed contributions suspicious, since “You might have a rounding pro-
Sandra Daneshinia, a self- contributors almost invariably give in cess if there was some kind of joint
employed caregiver from Los whole dollar amounts. event, but since all appear to be on
Angeles, made 36 separate contribu- “Of course this is odd. They are the Internet, it’s pretty unusual. At
tions, totaling $7,051.12, according obviously converting from local cur- the very least, it would need to be
to FEC records. Thirteen eventually rency to U.S. dollars,” says Boehm. explored.”
were refunded. “The overwhelming number of LaBolt attributed the uneven
Also giving in odd amounts was [donations] are [normally] in even amounts to online Obama merchan-
Robert Porter, an accountant for the dollar amounts. Anyone who doubts dise sales. “Contributions made to
town of Oviedo, Fla. Porter gave that can go to
FEC.gov and look the Obama store often produce totals
$4,786.02 to the Obama campaign. through the campaign contribution that are not exact dollar amounts,”
In all, Newsmax found an aston- databases. You will not fi nd many he said.
ishing 37,265 unique donors uneven numbers.” But the campaign has never pro-
to the Obama campaign whose Richard E. Hug, a veteran duced any accounting for proceeds
GES
contributions were not rounded up Republican fundraiser in Maryland from its online store.
TY IMA
who raised millions of dollars for The Republican National
“The fi rst thing it suggests is George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, Committee fi led a complaint against /
AFP GET
foreign currency transactions —
and spearheaded the successful 2002 the Obama campaign for “accept-
contributions from foreign donors,
gubernatorial race for Bob Ehrlich ing prohibited contributions from
that brought in a record $10 million, foreign nationals and excessive con-
which is clearly illegal.” tells Newsmax that unrounded con- tributions from individuals.” EMMANUEL DUNAND
54
NEWSMAX / DECEMBER 2008
0046-Cover Story SUNDAY.indd 5446-Cover Story SUNDAY.indd 54 111/10/08 5:39:54 PM1/10/08 5:39:54 PM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84