The Celebrity Political Money Trail
Major celebrities have been making some very interesting political donations this election cycle. While some are surprising, some are not too surprising at all. But public record keeping does turn up an interesting money path of donations by some top celebrities. Here are a few highlights from the current public records:
For John McCain: Troy Aikman, former NFL quarterback and sportscaster, $2300. Mario Andretti, retired racer $500. Pat Boone, former teen idol and Christian singer, $4600. Jerry Bruckheimer, megaTV show producer, $9600.Clarence Cazalot, Marathon Oil CEO. $15000. Pete Coors, Coors Brewing CEO, $2300. Dick Vevos, former Amway founder and CEO, $4600. David Dorman, AT&T Chairman, $2300.Clint Eastwood, actor and director, $2300. John Elway, retired NFL star, $2300. Steve Forbes, publisher Fortune Magazine, $4600. Ted Forstmann, financier, $63,200. Roger Goodall, current NFL Commissioner, $2300. Kelsey Grammer, actor, $2300. John Hagee, millionaire TV evangelist, $1000. William Harrison, CEO of JP Morgan Chase, $27,300. Kathy, Rick and William Hilton, Hotel owners and executives, a total of $9200. Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Governor and presidential candidate, $2300. Ray Irani, Occidental Petroleum CEO, $2300. Kirk Kerkorian, Casino owner who attempted a failed Chrysler buyout, $4600. Alan Lacy, Sears CEO, $5600. Edward Liddy, Allstate Insurance CEO, $2300. Mary Matalin, Republican political strategist and advisor, $2300. Lorne Michaels, NBC SNL and other shows producer, $2300. Jack Nicklaus, golf legend, $1100, Arnold Palmer, golf legend, $1000. Richard Parsons, Chairman of TIme Warner, $26,500. Richard Petty, Nascar legend, $1000. Colin Powell, former army general and Secretary Of State, $2300. Dan Quayle, former Vice President who couldn't spell potato, $20000. Curt Schilling, baseball great, $2300. Vin Scully, sportscaster, $2300. Gary Sinese, actor, $2300. Roger Stauback, NFL legend, $40800. Rip Torn, actor, $2300. Dick Van Patten, actor, $2020. Jim Walton, WalMart billionaire, 42300. Darell Waltrip, Nascar legend, $1000. In addition John McCain draws in big donations from a large number of corporate CEOs including oil industry and communications heads.
Contributors To Hillary Clinton & Also To John McCain: August Busch, III, CEO Anhauser Busch, $2300 to Clinton and $4600 to John McCain. Dick Ebersol, NBC Sports Producer, $4600 each to Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Charles Ergen, Echostar CEO, $2300 to Hillary Clinton and $4600 to John McCain. John Faraci, International Paper CEO, $2300 to hillary Clinton and $4600 to John McCain. Brad Grey, Paramount Pictures CEO, $4600 to Hillary Clinton and $2300 to John McCain. Jeffrey Immet, General Electric Chairman, $2300 each to Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Leonard and William Lauder, Este Lauder executives, $3700 to Hillary Clinton and $9200 to John McCain. Rupert Murdock, News Corporation CEO, $2300 each to Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Susan Saint James, actress, $4600 to Hillary Clinton and $2300 to john McCain. Donald Trump, real estate developer, $600 to Hillary Clinton and $33,050 to John McCain. George Steinbrenner, NY Yankees owner, $2300 to Hillary Clinton and $15000 to John McCain
Contributors To John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama: Barry Diller, media mogul, $4600 each. Terry semel, Yahoo Chairman, $4600 to Hillary Clinton, and $2300 each to John McCain and Barack Obama.
For Barack Obama & Hillary Clinton: JJ Abrams, TV producer, $2300 to both Clinton & Obama. Chris Albrecht, former HBO executive, $4600 to Clinton & $2300 for Obama. Byron Allen, TV producer and personality, $4600 to Clinton & $2300 to Obama. Clarence Avant, record producer, $4600 to Clinton & $30800 to Obama. Billy Baldwin, actor, $1000 each. Ellen Barkin, actress, $2300 each. Paul Begala, Democratic consultant, $4600 to Clinton & $2300 to Obama. Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons owner, $4600 each. Steven Bochco,TV show writer and producer, $2300 to Clinton & $30800 to Obama. Christie Brinkley, model and serial marriager, $3250 to Clinton & $2000 Obama. James L. Brooks, TV show producer, $4600 each. Warren Buffet, billionaire, $4600 each. Kate Capshaw, actress, $2300 each. James Carville, Democratic political consultant, $4600 to Clinton & $2300 to Obama. Peter Chernin, News Corporation CEO, $4600 to Clinton and $2100 to Obama. Glen Close, actress, $2300 each. Jamie Lee Curtis, $4600 each. Danny Devito, actor, $2300 to Clinton & $2000 Obama. Michael Douglas, actor, $4600 each. Jodie Foster, actress, $4600 to Clinton & $3300 to Obama. Michael J Fox, actor and Parkinson's disease activist, $1200 Clinton & $2300 Obama. Jami Gertz, actress, $4000 Clinton & $2300 Obama. Berry Gordy, record producer and soul talent scout legend, $4600 Clinton & $30800 Obama. Brian Grazer, producer, $4600 each. John Grisham, author, $4600 Clinton & $1000 Obama. David Guggenheim, filmmaker, $1000 Clinton & $2300 Obama. Tom Hanks, actor, $2300 each. Hugh Hefner, Playboy Magazine founder, $4600 to Clinton & $2300 to Obama. Marg Helgenberger, actress CSI TV show, $1000 to Clinton & $2300 Obama. Alan Horn, movie producer, $4600 Clinton & $2300 Obama. Ron Howard, movie director and actor, $4600 each. Ron Insana, TV business analyst for CNN, $4600 each. Joan Jett, punky rock star, $750 Clinton & $250 Obama. Magic Johnson, basketball legend, $4600 to Clinton & $2300 Obama. Vernon Jordan, Democratic Party power broker, $4600 to Clinton & $2300 Obama. Jeffrey Katzenberg, Co-founder Dreamworks Pictures, $2300 each. Caroline Kennedy, sole survivor of John Kenndedy's family and author, $2300. each. Calvin Klein, fashion mogul, $4600 Clinton & $2300 Obama. Christine Lahti, actress, $2300 each. Sharon Lawrence, actress, $3000 to Clinton & $2300 Obama. Norman Lear, TV show producer, $4600 to Clinton & $2300 Obama. John Legend, recording artist, $1000 Clinton & $4600 Obama. Tobey Maguire, actor, $4600 Clinton & $2300 Obama. Barry Manilow, singer and songwriter, $2300 each. Bette Midler, singer and actress, $4600 each. John Morgridge, Cisco executive, $4600 to Clinton & $2300 Obama. Alonzo Morning, NBA basketball star, $1000 Clinton & $2300 Obama. Paul Newman, actor, $4600 each. Rosie O'Donell, comic, actress and TV show hostess, $2300 each. Holly Robinson Peete, actress, $2300 Clinton & $4600 Obama. Rhea Perlman, actress, $2300 Clinton & $2000 Obama. Howard Schutz, Starbucks CEO, $2300 each. M Night Shymalan, Filmmaker, $2300 each. Rusell Simmons, media mogul, $1000. Tom Skeritt, actor, $2300 to Clinton & Obama $1000. Steven Spielberg, filmmaker, $2300 each. Ben Stiller, comic actor, $4600 Clinton & $2300 Obama. Heather Thomas, actress, $2300 Clinton & $4600 Obama. Lily Tomlin, comic and actress, $2000 Clinton & $200 Obama. John Wells, TV show producer, Clinton $2300 & $4600 Obama. Bradley Whitford, actor, $2300 each. Rita Wilson, actress, $4600 Clinton & $2300 Obama. Joanne Woodwatd, actress, $4600 each. Andrew Young, civil rights leader and lobbyist, $2000 Clinton & $1000 Obama. George Zimmer, Men's Warehouse suit stores founder, spokesman and CEO, $500 Clinton & $2300 Obama.
Coming Tomorrow, the top sole celebrity donors to either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. Stay tuned.....Same Bat time, Same Bat channel.
posted by Paul Hooson @ 8:51 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Interesting definition of "celebrity" you're using:
Clarence Cazalot, Marathon Oil CEO. $15000. Pete Coors, Coors Brewing CEO, $2300. Dick Vevos, former Amway founder and CEO, $4600. David Dorman, AT&T Chairman, $2300. Ted Forstmann, financier, $63,200. William Harrison, CEO of JP Morgan Chase, $27,300. Ray Irani, Occidental Petroleum CEO, $2300. Kirk Kerkorian, Casino owner who attempted a failed Chrysler buyout, $4600. Alan Lacy, Sears CEO, $5600. Edward Liddy, Allstate Insurance CEO, $2300. Richard Parsons, Chairman of TIme Warner, $26,500. Jim Walton, WalMart billionaire, 42300. August Busch, III, CEO Anhauser Busch, $2300 to Clinton and $4600 to John McCain. Charles Ergen, Echostar CEO, $2300 to Hillary Clinton and $4600 to John McCain. John Faraci, International Paper CEO, $2300 to hillary Clinton and $4600 to John McCain. Brad Grey, Paramount Pictures CEO, $4600 to Hillary Clinton and $2300 to John McCain. Jeffrey Immet, General Electric Chairman, $2300 each to Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Leonard and William Lauder, Este Lauder executives, $3700 to Hillary Clinton and $9200 to John McCain. Rupert Murdock, News Corporation CEO, $2300 each to Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Terry semel, Yahoo Chairman, $4600 to Hillary Clinton, and $2300 each to John McCain and Barack Obama.Chris Albrecht, former HBO executive, $4600 to Clinton & $2300 for Obama. Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons owner, $4600 each. Peter Chernin, News Corporation CEO, $4600 to Clinton and $2100 to Obama. Vernon Jordan, Democratic Party power broker, $4600 to Clinton & $2300 Obama. John Morgridge, Cisco executive, $4600 to Clinton & $2300 Obama. Howard Schutz, Starbucks CEO, $2300 each. George Zimmer, Men's Warehouse suit stores founder, spokesman and CEO, $500 Clinton & $2300 Obama.
I was unaware that in "CEO," the C stands for "Celebrity."
I'll be interested if you'll even touch upon the millions and millions unions are pouring into this campaign, especially the SEIU, which is using illegal fundraising tactics (mandating "contributions" to its political action committee from its members) to try to buy this election for the Democrats.
J.
Oh, and I see you're still too good to link to your sources, and presuming that everyone can just take your word for things.
Must be nice to be infallible...
In this case, though, I'd really, really like to see where you cut and pasted this list from. As I noted, the definition of "celebrity" is incredibly sloppy -- so sloppy, I think it must be deliberate and agenda-driven.
J.
I think that both "celebrity" and "public figure" are interchangeable terms. All political donations are a matter of the public record and easy to access for any person wanting to take the time looking for who is making the donation, the amount, and their occupation. I didn't include the smaller $20-50 donations, and generally made at least $500 the cutoff point. I also didn't include energy, corporate or oil industry figures in the John McCain records unless they tended to be better known in Wall Street circles. So this donor list is not complete.
One interesting example is Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens who apparently has not made any contributions directly to John McCain this election cycle but made a huge $500,000 gift to the SWIFTBOATS VETERANS FOR TRUTH to fight Kerry in 2004, although public records also indicate that Mr. Pickens also contributed thousands of dollars in the past to elect John Kerry to the Senate in Massachusetts. Go figure?
Translation: "I'm not going to tell you where I cut and pasted this list from. They got it from public sources, and that's good enough."
Speaking of Mr. Pickens, it is my understanding that Speaker Pelosi and her husband are quite heavily invested with him. But I'm sure there's no conflict of interest there.
By your definition, any person who makes a donation to a political campaign is a "celebrity." As convenient as that is for your agenda here, I'll stick with a more traditional one, such as this one from Wikipedia:
"A celebrity is a widely-recognized or famous person who commands a high degree of public and media attention. The word stems from the Latin verb "celebrere" but they may not become a celebrity unless public and mass media interest is piqued. For example Virgin Director Richard Branson was famous as a CEO, but he did not become a global celebrity until he attempted to circumnavigate the globe in a hot air balloon."
Businessmen, especially successful ones, do not qualify as "celebrities" unless and until they seek publicity. "Celebrity" is usually defined as those people involved in the entertainment business, and are used to (or seek) publicity, and are most often instantly recognizable by name, if not by face.
Going by the excerpted version of your list I made, I didn't recognize any names before Kerkorian's. Others I knew because their family has some measure of renown, but not the indiduals: Coors, Walton, Busch, and Lauder.
What I don't understand why you didn't separate them out and write about how "big business" is trying to buy the election. But then that would have required some actual research instead of just cutting and pasting from the source you refuse to acknowledge.
J.
Jay, you don't always need to view some political agenda into everything 24/7. Just enjoy this partial listing of a number of notable big name donors from the public records for educational or entertainment value.
Don't you at least find this list of big names donors interesting? I do.
Actually, what I find more interesting (as in "outrageous") is the SEIU amending its constitution to mandate "donations" of $6.00 per member of each of its locals for its Political Action Committee, in clear violation of federal campaign finance laws.
Even more interesting is the provision that any local that falls short will be fined out of its dues the shortage plus 50%, meaning that they could end up paying $9.00 per member to the SEIU's PAC.
Great little racket there. Pity that it's ILLEGAL.
J.
Maybe $6.00 is an awful lot of money for you, Jay, but heck I spent a lot more than $6.00 buying a new high end Italian motorcycle yesterday. But regardless of that, $6.00 is little more than the cost of a gallon and half of gas these days or the cost of a Mad Magazine plus $1.01. It's not really much money at all. In fact many unions ask for a $10.00 donation for charity purposes such as support for United Way. In fact most charity donations are more money than this $6.00 that you have written extensively about.
As far as this $6.00 donation being illegal, so far I don't know of any lawsuit, Federal Election Commission, federal court decision or National Labor Relations decision that supports that opinion of yours, so until one of these legal entities makes such a legal ruling, your opinion that requiring this $6.00 donation is illegal is merely an opinion of your own.
But you're always most welcome to comment here, Jay. I certainly appreciate your right to express your views and opinions. Have a very nice there fellow.
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