Corporate donations to Obama inauguration draw fire

A list of donors to President Obama's second inauguration released Friday evening revealed some big corporations that will be bankrolling the upcoming festivities, drawing fire from transparency advocates and political money watchdogs.

In 2009, Mr. Obama's inaugural committee did not accept corporate donations, donations from lobbyists, and individual donations in excess of $50,000. This time, he retained the ban on lobbyist donations but opted to allow unlimited donations from individuals and companies.

Despite the relaxed restrictions, the president does not yet have much to show for it - the corporate donor list includes such marquee names as Microsoft and AT&T, but only a dozen corporations have donated to the official Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC). More than 400 individuals have donated $200 or more. Specific donation amounts from the corporations or individuals were not disclosed.

And despite the relative paucity of corporate money donated to date, advocates for tighter restrictions on political donations have not greeted the about-face enthusiastically. "It's not worth indebting yourself to corporate interests just to have a big party," Craig Holman, an advocate with the watchdog group Public Citizen, told the Washington Post. "It's very unfortunate and quite a reversal of what this president stood for."

Holman also criticized the lack of transparency in the PIC's disclosure. In 2009, inauguration organizers released the employer, amount donated, and state of residence for each individual donor. This time, however, the president provided "just a list of names," Holman told the Post.

An inaugural committee spokeswoman, Addie Whisenant, pushed back on complaints about transparency, telling the Post, "The Presidential Inaugural Committee is continuing its pledge of transparency for the American people and is taking extra steps to provide the public with ongoing updates about who is donating to the inaugural. In keeping with the FEC requirements, we will also make public the final list of donors and the amounts they contributed to the [committee] 90 days after the presidential inauguration."

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Meanwhile, the Federal Election Committee announced on Friday that Mr. Obama's 2008 campaign has been fined $375,000 - one of the largest fines ever levied on a presidential campaign - due to a reporting violation related to nearly 1,200 donations totaling nearly $1.9 million received during the closing days of the 2008 campaign.

Campaigns are required to disclose donations in excess of $1,000 or more within 48 hours of receipt during the final 20 days of the campaign.

The fine stems from the Obama campaign's failure to disclose nearly 1,200 donations totaling $1.9 million.

[eroteme2]

Hold your fire! It is useless! Everyone should know by now that Obama and his administration is blameless, they have done, now do, will do, nothing that merits criticism.

[ammo17]

which government is more corrupt and dysfuntional the USA OR MEXICO`S?

[Cowmpound]

You could go live in Mexico and find out.

[tsigili]

We need to put a stop to the waste of having an inauguration for an incumbent President.

That is total nonsense.

[Wingsfan1983]

Actually this shows the election process is flawed thanks to Scalia. The ultra conservative whom call this hypocritical have to understand one of their own caused this mess.

Yea corporations are people too........

[nearl451]

Here's the deal. Understand why CLintons are the epitome of the "establishemnt"? It is because CLinton established himself in all sectors of support with BIG MONEY.

Obama started out with a small dollar facade, but in the "Citizen's United" politically funded world, you don't turn away big money for any reason.

$6B spent on the last election to mainly keep the status quo in the entire Federal Govt.

[omnibus66]

So now the tea potty types are upset because private money is going to be used for inaugration festivities. What they are really sore about is wasting a billion dollars on a loser. But all of you long-faces should take it that it was Gods will that Obama should win, or else he would not have. So are you going to accept Gods will, or are you going to let your racial hatred force you to becomae a heretic? Think about it.

[nirvanatopia]

We accept God's will; unfortunately it means that we will have to endure 4 more years of the most far-left radical ever to claim the presidency of the United States of America. More pain, more suffering, more disastrous policies at the hands of the worst president in history, and the mindless drones that support him. No pain, no gain in its truest form. We can only hope, pray and have faith that this obamanation of a president is part of God's plan to rid us once and for all of the cancer known as liberal progressivism. God help us.

[stamicrach]

I can't believe anyone is surprised by these donations.

What does surprise me is that Obama didn't have millions left over from his campaign donations to pay for the inaugurations himself.

George Soros and others of his ilk have Obama in their back pockets, pulling his strings for the last four years.

Nothing's changed.!

[nearl451]

Get a tear glass and save those tears.

[netjunkie1]

I bet it was either an oversight, or a setup.

[krisinal]

H Y P O C R I T E S ! ! ! !

[jbright9]

I Donated to the Obama campaign and am proud of it.

[vortex3600]

Oh stop acting orgasmic over it loser.

[nearl451]

uh....er....winner.