Aug. 6, 2008
Unlikely Donors Give Big Money To McCain
Washington Post: Bundler Harry Sargeant III Has Collected Over $100K For McCain, Giuliani And Clinton
-
Photo
A spokesman for the McCain campaign said: "We strictly follow campaign finance law, and where flags are raised, we'll certainly look into it." (AP)
-
Interactive
The Money Race
See the latest campaign finance tallies from Obama and McCain.
From Our Partner:
The bundle of $2,300 and $4,600 checks that poured into Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign on March 12 came from an unlikely group of California donors: a mechanic from D&D Auto Repair in Whittier, the manager of Rite Aid Pharmacy No. 5727, the 30-something owners of the Twilight Hookah Lounge in Fullerton.
But the man who gathered checks from them is no stranger to McCain -- he shuttled the Republican on his private plane and held a fundraising event for the candidate at his house in Delray Beach, Fla.
Harry Sargeant III, a former naval officer and the owner of an oil-trading company that recently inked defense contracts potentially worth more than $1 billion, is the archetype of a modern presidential money man. The law forbids high-level supporters from writing huge checks, but with help from friends in the Middle East and the former chief of the CIA's bin Laden unit -- who now serves as a consultant to his company -- Sargeant has raised more than $100,000 for three presidential candidates from a collection of ordinary people, several of whom professed little interest in the outcome of the election.
After initially helping to raise money for former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, a Republican, and Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sargeant, 50, has emerged as a major player in Florida fundraising for McCain. He has also become a conduit between McCain and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R), who was Sargeant's college fraternity brother and remains a close friend.
Crist, a beneficiary of Sargeant's fundraising network, said he saw nothing unusual in its breadth. "I was not surprised, but I certainly was grateful for his and his family's efforts," he said, adding that he anticipates Sargeant assisting McCain not only with fundraising but also with advice on military affairs and the economy. "He's been enormously helpful . . . already," Crist said.
The 2008 presidential campaign, which could see each side spend close to $500 million, has heightened the importance of "bundlers" such as Sargeant, who not only write checks themselves but also recruit scores of other donors to give the legal limit of $2,300. Questions about such donor networks have repeatedly emerged as points of stress for the campaigns.
In January, Norman Hsu, a top Clinton bundler, was indicted in part on charges of circumventing legal giving limits by routing contributions though "straw donors." Earlier this week, McCain drew questions about more than $60,000 in donations that were made this year to the Republican National Committee and his campaign by an office manager with the Hess oil company and her husband, an Amtrak track foreman. In that case, the couple said they used their own money.
Some of the most prolific givers in Sargeant's network live in modest homes in Southern California's Inland Empire. Most had never given a political contribution before being contacted by Sargeant or his associates. Most said they have never voiced much interest in politics. And in several instances, they had never registered to vote. And yet, records show, some families have ponied up as much as $18,400 for various candidates between December and March.
Both Sargeant and the donors were vague when asked to explain how Sargeant persuaded them to give away so much money.
"I have a lot of Arab business partners. I do a lot of business in the Middle East. I've got a lot of friends," Sargeant said in a telephone interview yesterday. "I ask my friends to support candidates that I think are worthy of supporting. They usually come through for me."
Sargeant's business relationships, and the work they perform together, occur away from the public eye. His firm, International Oil Trading Co. (IOTC), holds several lucrative contracts with the Defense Department to carry fuel to the U.S. military in Iraq.
"It is very difficult and is a very logistically intensive business that we have been able to specialize in," Sargeant said. "We do difficult logistical things that don't necessarily suit a major oil company. It's a niche we've been able to occupy."
The work has not been without controversy. Last month, Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) initiated a review of IOTC's contract to determine whether it was overcharging the military for jet fuel, and to learn how the company, which did not submit the lowest bid, landed the contract to supply the fuel. The Pentagon has said that IOTC won the contract because it was the only company with a "letter of authorization" from the Jordanian government to move the fuel across its territory to Iraq.
Sargeant said he has met with Waxman. "We plan to cooperate fully," he said. "Everything we have done on this contract has been in the best interest of the military and the U.S. taxpayers."
Sargeant said the same people who have helped him build relationships around the world also helped him create a vast network. In recruiting some donors, he confirmed he had help from a business associate who formerly was a top counterterrorism official in the CIA.
A review of state and federal campaign finance records found that this collection of donors has been activated four times. Their names -- confirmed by Sargeant -- first appeared in finance records on June 19, 2006, when about 50 of them each donated $500 to Crist's gubernatorial campaign. Sargeant helped lead fundraising for Crist that year.
Thirteen of the donors resurfaced on Dec. 13, 2007, sending a combined $29,200 to Giuliani's campaign at a time when Sargeant was heading up fundraising efforts in Florida for the former mayor. Seventeen of them sent the maximum allowed, $2,300, to Clinton's presidential campaign on Dec. 24. And a dozen of them returned in March to write checks to McCain totaling $50,600.
Brian Rogers, a McCain campaign spokesman, said: "We strictly follow campaign finance law, and where flags are raised, we'll certainly look into it."The Money Race
Check out the latest reports from Obama and McCain - including how much they've raised and spent since the campaign began.
Donors reached by phone or interviewed in person declined to explain who asked them to make the contributions.
Ibrahim Marabeh, who is listed in public records as a Rite Aid manager, at first denied that he wrote any political checks. He then said he was asked by "a local person. But I would like not to talk about it anymore." Neither he nor his wife is registered to vote, but the two donated $4,600 to Clinton and $4,600 to Giuliani in December.
At the Twilight Hookah Lounge, owned by Nadia and Shawn Abdalla, patrons smoke tobacco flavored with honey and fruit from a menu that includes the strawberry-flavored Sex on the Beach and the strong, orange-flavored Fuzzy Navel.
The Abdallas, who are not registered to vote, said in an interview that they recalled writing a check to an organization in Miami, because a person with that organization was a friend of their mother's. They said they could not remember his name.
Nader, 39, and Sahar Alhawash, 28, of Colton, Calif, who at one point ran the Avon Village Liquor store, donated a total of $18,400 to Giuliani, Clinton and McCain between December and March. About 80 people in the country made such large contributions to all three, and most were wealthy business executives, such as Donald Trump. The Alhawashes declined to comment about the donations. Abdullah Abdullah, a supervisor at several Taco Bell restaurants in the Riverside area, and his wife have donated $9,200 to McCain.
Reached at work, Abdullah said he knows little about the campaign. "I have no idea. I'll be honest with you," he said. "I'm involved in the restaurant business. My brother Faisel recommended John McCain. Whenever he makes a recommendation, we do it."
Faisal Abdullah, 49, said he helped organize all of the contributions from members of his family. When he was asked who solicited the contributions from him, he said: "Why does it matter who? I'm telling you we made the contribution. We funneled it through the channel in Florida because that's the contact we had. I was responsible for collecting it."
Staff writer Ashley Surdin in Los Angeles and research director Lucy Shackelford, research editor Alice Crites and staff researcher Julie Tate in Washington contributed to this report.
By Matthew Mosk
© 2008 The Washington Post Company
|
|
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
...
- 12
- next
See all 584 CommentsTHIS IS MORE RELEVANT NEWS.
Some of the most prolific givers in Sargeant''s network live in modest homes in Southern California''s Inland Empire. Most had never given a political contribution before being contacted by Sargeant or his associates. Most said they have never voiced much interest in politics. And in several instances, they had never registered to vote. And yet, records show, some families have ponied up as much as $18,400 for various candidates between December and March.
Both Sargeant and the donors were vague when asked to explain how Sargeant persuaded them to give away so much money.
John McCain is a natural born leader and the next President of this nation.
More proof that Obama is threatening change.
July is when we Democrats go to the Hamptons & Europe on vacation. If they had taken the poll on Cape Cod it would''ve been different.
Seriously, Dude..the number of people calling themselves Republicans is going down much faster. Most Aermicans are middle of the road independents, which is why GOP hacks like you work so hard trying to portray Obama as an extremist.
And George Bush, Sr. was toasting Bin Laden''s brother at a Carlylr Group meeting when the twin towers were bombed. The difference is that Obama let the guy go when this was discovered.
The Bush & Bin Laden families are still in business together.
By average American, do you mean the wife-beating drug dropping women fondling drunken slobs at the Sturgis Bike rally who McCain called the "real Americans"?
I guess that whole family values shtick ain''t working for you guys anymore.
Two-thirds of Republicans and about half of independents said they''ve heard too much about Obama,
Posted by mike071067
Then you clowns should stop talking about him and start talking about the issues.
What other proof do you need that McCain is business as usual. Straight Talk my asss.
A new poll shows that half of Americans are sick of Obama. According to the poll:
Two-thirds of Republicans and about half of independents said they''''ve heard too much about Obama,
Posted by mike071067
Then you clowns should stop talking about him and start talking about the issues.
Posted by omega39 at 11:24 AM : Aug 06, 2008
Exactly! lol!
I see the rush limpbots are slinking around today
Obama can''t possibly finance his programs %u2014 particularly his health-insurance schemes %u2014 with the tax hikes he''s advocating. Obama can capitalize on the current hard times, but he can lose big time if the impact of his tax policies is explained.
Obama''s claims that Iran is a "tiny nation" that they pose no real threat to the United States. How about Obama''s opposition to the surge and refusal to vote to pay for the troops?
If soccer moms determined the outcome of the 1996 presidential race and security moms tipped the balance in 2004, it is beginning to look as if older moms are the key to the 2008 contest.
Obama has a problem among women over 40 and a big problem among women over 50. These groups, normally the staunchest of Democratic supporters, are showing a propensity to back McCain.
If you want more of the same,
Vote for McCain.
It''ll be the same old $hit,
Just coming from a different A$$H0LE
Posted by zerato at 11:34 AM : Aug 06, 2008
Don''t you wish you had someone to listen to.....besides Soros and Oprah? LOL
Mccain has said he will reduce corporate taxes, keep the bush tax cuts for the rich, keep the war in Iraq going, have a tax holiday for gas, keep the war going in afghanistan, and balance the budget by 2013.
His own economists do not believe it. His math does not add up. When he is pressed, he said he will get rid of earmarks. That is only 18 billion in 2008. Mccain is right he is not any good with economics. hE IS JUST ANOTHER BORROW AND SPEND REPUBLICAN
So he admits channeling money from foreigners into McCain''s campaign?
Illegal or what?
The rightwingers made a big fuss about Buddhist temples and Al Gore.
Now let''s see if we hear a peep from Rush Limpbaugh on money coming from Muslim mosques to McCain.
I guess to you, your statement made sense
"In an effort to cast himself as independent of the influence of money on politics, Senator Barack Obama often highlights the campaign contributions of $200 or less that have amounted to fully half of the $340 million he has collected so far.
But records show that a third of his record-breaking haul has come from donations of $1,000 or more - a total of $112 million, more than the total of contributions in that category taken in by either Senator John McCain, his Republican rival, or Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, his opponent in the Democratic primaries.
Behind those large donations is a phalanx of more than 500 Obama "bundlers," fund-raisers who have each collected contributions totaling $50,000 or more. Many of the bundlers come from industries with critical interests in Washington. Nearly three dozen of the bundlers have raised more than $500,000, including more than a half-dozen who have passed the $1 million mark and one or two who have exceeded $2 million, according to interviews with fund-raisers.
..............Imagine that........
They still aren''t greeting us with chocolates and flowers but I can also see why they want to be our friend. Thanks to Bush, they have a 79 billion dollar surplus while we have a multi-billion dollaer deficit. They have full health insurance paid for by you and me while 40 million Amerocans have none.
What''s not to like?
To top it all off, they have the world''s 3rd largest stockpile of oil which has been off the market for the past 5 years while the prices have been sky-rocketing.
Now if the corrupt Shiite-dominated government can gain can gain a share of the black market oil profits being pocketed by their Shiite militia friends, maybe they can show their real gratitude by paying us back some of what we''ve spent defending and rebuilding their country.
After 5 years of occupation I have the feeling that once we leave they won''t want anything to do with us and will be more interested in doing business with their Shiite brothers in Iran.
The republicans have shown that they know what they''re doing with the "defense structure"? Really? Rumsfeld?Cheney?Wolfowitz? Really?
You all need to go home and leave foreign policy in general, hunting Bin Laden, balancing the budget, making taxes more fair,improving healthcare, developing alternative clean energy,protecting Constitutional rights, reducing unemployment,protecting product and food safety, reducing crime, protecting the environment, and controlling the excesses of greedy corporations to someone else.
You should change your name to ''RealSocialist'' because that''s what you are. A candyassed, commie wanna be.
I guess you would be a patriot....to Marx and Stalin.
With his daughter by his side, no less.
Is this guy SERIOUS??
Wow, little big man really knows how to throw names around from the safety of his mommy''s bedroom computer!
You''re too *** stupid to even know what a socialist or commie is! The socialists and the commies would have no problem leading you around by the nose, the brown-shirts already are.
If you want to question my patriotism to my face little boy, I live in Angier, NC and you can come talk to me about ******!
mr 2258,
If you think the Iraqis(meaning the government) are our friends you are more naive than you think Obama is.
What''''s not to like?
To top it all off, they have the world''''s 3rd largest stockpile of oil which has been off the market for the past 5 years while the prices have been sky-rocketing.
Now if the corrupt Shiite-dominated government can gain can gain a share of the black market oil profits being pocketed by their Shiite militia friends, maybe they can show their real gratitude by paying us back some of what we''''ve spent defending and rebuilding their country.
After 5 years of occupation I have the feeling that once we leave they won''''t want anything to do with us and will be more interested in doing business with their Shiite brothers in Iran.
Posted by realpatriot1 at 12:12 PM : Aug 06, 2008
I think we should ALL feel really USED!
Are you still out there, candy ***?
Posted by Element51 at 12:38 PM : Aug 06, 2008
I thought exactly the same thing - Is this POS Repug just using people to funnel money to McCain - He''s also proud of the several un-verifiable monies coming in from the Middle East and most of the dumb Repugs on this thread can''t even question that ? It''s really sad, what Repugs are proving they''re wiling to do and ignore in defence of their PARTY against our laws in this country - but then they''ll call others UnAmerican. What a shame !
Vote for McCain.
It''''ll be the same old $hit,
Just coming from a different A$$H0LE
Looking a McLame gives you a reason to vote Democrat.
Are you still out there, candy ***?
Posted by realpatriot1 at 01:24 PM : Aug 06, 2008
Wonder where all those devoted and loyal Repugs ran to - after getting called out on their BS theories and excuses ?
I want to know what is wrong with McCains Cheeks. If you look at him in the face the left side of his face and the cheek area looks larger.
SERIOUSLY:
Or is he part Chip-Munk and hording seeds for winter in his cheeks so the democarats can get any food.
Or is it a Tumor ?
THATS SO NICE I THINK I AM GOING TO PUKE ON YOU.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by nokoolaid at 01:45 PM
Why do you practice age discrimination ? I thought you libs were against discrimination of all kins, age, race, ***, but then I know it is all a bunch of hypocracy for you guys
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
...
- 12
- next
See all 584 Comments