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Subscribe to RSSNBC's Michael Isikoff reports on the lavish celebrity-filled parties that take place at both the Democratic and Republican conventions where delegates, donors and lobbyists flock to throw their money and influence around.
While publicly pledging to refuse corporate money, the official host committee for this week’s Democratic National Convention has quietly and aggressively courted corporate donors — using a sister nonprofit that has been offering firms special “sponsorship opportunities” if they ponied up $1 million or more to help cover the costs of the event.
A 13-page marketing brochure obtained by NBC News shows how New American City, a nonprofit that is closely affiliated with the official Democratic convention host committee, offered package deals to corporate contributors — with different benefits starting at levels of $100,000 and escalating to the top “Tryon Street Level” of $1 million.
The companies that reached the seven-figure level got “naming rights” at “villages” set up for a Charlotte street festival that opened up the convention, as well as guarantees that “your logo will be featured prominently.” The firms also got to put up banners and logos at other convention-related events — such as a delegate and media welcoming parties — as well as the chance to include their logos in gift bags that are being handed out to 6,000 delegates and over 15, 000 members of the media.
The use of New American City to tap corporate funds appears to have worked. While Charlotte in 2012 has struggled to meet its $37 million fundraising goal, New American City has raised about $15 million from corporate donors that include Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Duke Power and Time Warner Cable, according to public statements by foundation and host committee officials.
The courtship of big corporate donors by New American City stands in contrast to much of the rhetoric that Democrats have used to describe this week’s Charlotte convention. ” By publicly stating that they wouldn’t take money from corporations and lobbyists — or any donations over $100,000 — for the official convention host committee, the Democrats have said they are holding a “people’s convention” unlike any that has come before it.
But campaign spending watchdogs say that the operations of New American City (the foundation accepts donations from lobbyists as well as corporations) reveal some of the Democrats’ claims to be hollow.
“It’s amazing how creative Democrats can be finding loopholes around their own rules,” said Bill Allison of the Sunlight Foundation, a group that t has been tracking the role that corporations and lobbyists have played at both party’s conventions. “It’s the Super Bowl for special interests at the convention. We’re seeing it in Charlotte the same way that we saw it in Tampa.”
New American City is a nonprofit set up by Charlotte in 2012 — the name of the official host committee — initially to promote “Charlotte hospitality” and showcase the city’s reputation “as a New South City,” according to the marketing brochure. But it has much of the same staff as Charlotte in 2012 (the foundation’s finance and deputy finance director are the same) and many of the corporate funds that have gone to New American City have been used to pay expenses that would normally be covered by the official host committee.
Suzi Emmerling, who serves as spokeswoman for both groups, confirmed that New American City has paid “administrative costs” for the convention, such as the salaries and health care benefits of the host committee staff as well as delegate and media welcoming parties and the Charlotte street festival called CarolinaFest.
But Emmerling said that no corporate money has been used to pay for “official convention” costs as outlined in a contract signed by the Charlotte in 2012 with the Democratic National Committee. She also said that this year’s Democratic convention has gone further than any previous convention in attracting small individual donors, receiving 85 times more such contributions than the Democrats got in 2008.
“We’ve dramatically expanded the donor base,” she said. “We have gone further than any other convention in trying to keep out corporate money.”
Corporate and lobbying money has long been a staple of political conventions of both parties; the Republicans placed no restrictions on taking such funds for its convention in Tampa. Moreover, while touting its enlarged base of smaller donors, the Democratic convention host committee has also made strong efforts to attract money from big party bundlers — many of whom have invaded Charlotte, taken over posh watering holes like the bar at the Ritz Carlton Hotel and who are attending many of the glitzy parties sponsored by big lobbying groups and corporations such as the Recording Industry Association, the Distilled Spirits Council and Google.
A separate package released by Charlotte in 2012 describes a range of packages offered to such party bundlers and big donors. A “Carolina Package” for those who raised $1 million entitled donors to “premier uptown hotel” rooms, concierge services, priority access for rental facilities and multiple “gold tickets” to convention events, including parties. Lesser packages for those raising $650,000, or $500,000 (the “Trustee Plus” package or the “Piedmont Package,” respectively) also got premier rooms and tickets to convention events, but fewer in number.
Despite the organizers’ promise to hold “the most transparent convention” in history and initial pledge to release the names of all donors in real time, the convention organizers now say they won’t release a complete list of the donors to either group until they are required to do under federal election law — next month, long after the convention is over.
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I swear, the MSM never has anything bad to say about the Democrats. They are Obama's puppets and let him and the DNC get away with practically everything. MSDNC is totally in the pockets of...
oh, what?
If it had been a republican maneuver, it would have been called "deceitful" "Republican lies again" etc....Very disheartening. I truly miss Tim Russert and his unbiased political reporting. First the Democrats vilify the corporations and now they court them. People need to wake up and quit believing everything they are told!!! Both parties need the corportations and both parties use the support!!! The democrat base wants to encourage everyone to HATE Mitt Romney and his family for being wealthy. If that is the criteria, then they should also hate the Obama's....they are Millionaires!!!! Very rich and getting richer by the day!!! Just being fair and consistent with the praise and condemnations.....it's not that hard!!!!
I miss Tim Russert too...NBC lost such a treasure. Mr. Russert was a true reporter and news man, probably the last of his breed and our generation. I would have loved to see his once more or anyone with such a brilliant mind dissect the political minutia in an a political way.
As for the DNC...of course they are going to court the big money and saying that they are not is deceitful and yet will be overlooked by their base because if the big donors are spending $$$$$$ money then all the base has to do is nothing to promote their own welfare. Seems ironic but sadly true.
What makes me even more sad is that the DNC gets an ice bar and the RNC seems to have missed out on that sort of fun. Wait....isn't is really decadent to be drinking off of big blocks of ice in the South while people south of NOLA are still struggling for refrigeration during their clean-up? What am I thinking...the President already set the precedent that their suffering is just an after thought. How many days did it take him to clear his calendar for a tour of the devastation as well as the confirmation that much was accomplished after Katrina. Maybe it is his way of punishing the state for electing a Republican Govorner? After all that is his way.
CORPORATE SUPPORT at at the DNC? WHAT? Never..... must be a mistake....
Barry would NEVER take corporate money.... and he never lies..... or makes backroom deals with lobbyist.... or violates his oath of office or the Constitution or the law..........
Wait a minute.....Mr. Obama has stated over and over that the "Fat Cats" are responsible for everything.
Now, his campaign is wanting more donations from these very same "Fat Cats" just for "naming rights".
Wait a minute, Mr. Obama directed the DOJ to not press Federal charges against the "Wall Street Fat Cats" who made unlawful mortgage securities transactions and robo-signing but only had them pay "small" fines. Maybe these "Wall Street Fat Cats" wants some of the action on "naming rights".
Sheeeesh, can't have it both ways but that is standard for this administration.
Ido... It is NOT the Obama campaign but rather the DNC and its affiliates. Get you r facts straight. the rest of your comment is ludicrous and you are a fool to "buy" into it.
This DNC activity is yet another reason why "We the people" are NOT represented within our "representative" government. All we do is cast votes while corporations, special interests and the wealthy are the ones who buy the favors from ALL politicians. The DNC and RNC are beholden to these groups and NOT to us therefore they say what "we the people" want to hear to get elected and then legislate in favor of corporations, the wealthy and special interest groups. This is why the middle class is dwindling in this country....
BEST GOVERNMENT MONEY, MONIED INTERESTS, CORPORATIONS, THE WEALTHY and SPECIAL INTERESTS CAN BUY!!!
Did you even read the story, or any story for that fact? Also, they are no longer MSNBC, they broke the joint with Microsoft, and are now known only as NBCnews. Its time to you update your childish slander.
Microsoft broke with NBC, not the other way as you stated. Even Bill gates didn't want to be associated with the garbage they produce.
I'm shocked! Shocked! Actually I am shocked. I am not shocked that the Democrats are still laundering campaign money. I'm shocked that NBC outed one of the Democrats' money laundering operations.
Wait until we get a report on what the "Progressives" and the Republicans do with the "excess" campaign funds after the election.
"While publicly pledging to refuse corporate money, the official host committee for this week’s Democratic National Convention has quietly and aggressively courted corporate donors"
Typical Democrat. Listen to my lies; ignore my actions.
Don't any of you ever get tired of all the f--- lieing these sleezebags do?
This from the political party that doesn't know what "is" means..... Bill probably STILL doesn't know!
Will they be begging the NRA for money?
Or from Oprah, or from the Kennedy family, or from Rev. Wright ? All three have been thrown under the ObamaWagon.
Maybe they can blame their lack of support on Bush.
Hey Democrats "you didn't build that", their Big Corporate donors did.
Vilifying big business when they couldn't have had their "Convention" without them = Priceless.
Next time let them build it themselves.
Liberals would acknowledge a screw up instead of defending it like right-wingers do.
Then why does the Left Defend Obama if they acknowledge a Screw up?
Shultz is a good example on a Progressive screw up and NOT acknowleging what she said was a LIE.
Saying that the Israel Ambassador stated the Republicans would not support Israel. Caught on tape saying it then turning around the next day and explicitly denying that she said it.
Typical Progressives.
logical-663460: Liberals acknowledging a screw up?? When hell freezes over .... it'll never happen.
logical... are you talking about a screw-up like renting out the Lincoln Bedroom for campaign donations or a screw-up like supporting a mistress out of the Campaign kitty or a screw-up like appointing a tax cheat to head the treasury? I'm still waiting for several generations of Liberals to stand up and take that sort of responsibility.
Wow, the new buss word for Democrats excepting bribes under the table is "creative." What a SHOCKER!
And here you thought only the Reps were crooks.
There are 41 Obama White House staffers and some of their aides who have FAILED TO PAY THEIR BACK IRS TAXES, and the DOJ nor the Secretary of the Treasury will take them to FEDERAL COURT.
Yep, there are crooks inside the White House.
DOJ is too busy being used the the WH to sue Gallup to do legitimate work.
Well it's nice to know that the public employee unions can make substantial donations after all. A City of Chicago booth would be nice, a Detroit Kiosk, or a Philadelphia beer and bratwurst tent,
Romney --Ryan--2012...they dont get (Creative) so ill vote Republican like ever one else and Obama can yard sell all the shovels he bought for us so we vote for him on promises of a job.
Dems can throw a party alright. Too bad that's all they can do.
Obama has been campaigning for four years. Too bad he didn't put the banner down and go to work on a budget or the housing mess or jobs or economy in general.
Well enjoy, the ballots come out soon.
By "creative", we mean "loophole". By "loophole", we mean "bending the rules". By "bending the rules", we mean "cheating the system". By "cheating the system", we mean "BREAKING THE LAW".
So much for Campaign Reform". One company's "Sponsorship Opportunity" is another company's BRIBE.
Had this been a Republican maneuver, the Democrats would've been up in arms, crying, "UNFAIR CORPORATE PRACTICES".
"creative", like "evolving", are words which when used by MSNBC to describe Democrats or Obama really mean "lying hypocrite"
When the Republicans openly take corporate money, it is vile and revolting, but when the Democrats play word games to quietly take corporate money, it is 'creative."
Ah yes. And they are angling for a "coallition" government. Until they win and then they shut out the other party. Remember the "across the isle" talk in the last election? They lied. And they are lying again, during the election. At least I have a new label. We got a new sales director, and he said he would increase communication and have two sided discussions. And then we had our first meeting. He was done once their laundry list was covered! At least I could say we were "Obama'd" and everyone knew what I meant!!
They tried reaching out to the party of NO over healthcare reform. But the party of NO wouldn't participate. The Republicans want nothing to do with compromise. That has been fully documented by our stymied congress the past 2 years.
However, back to the topic of this article. Claiming no corporate donations and doing an end run like this IS very sleezy. No arguement there. Why bother making the claim.
Where is the "lower" class supported in these conventions. Everybody talks about the One Percent and the middle class, but no mention of the lower class.
I suspect if either the Democrats or the Republicans ever mentioned the lower class the media would jump with both feet.
This as known as the elephant in the room. Course nothing to do with it being the Republican symbol.
On the other hand, we have the Democratic symbol, a jackass.
Either way, the voter loses.
Boycott the election.
The " Lower Class " of democrats were bussed in to fill empty seats at the convention. They of course will not be invited to the Corporate/wall st high roller " Champagne Socialists " DNC parties.
In the 50's, Hale Boggs lead the House Unamerican commite investigating comunist sympathisers. He misteriously dissapeared and they renamed themselves "progressives". Look where we are now.
Psychopaths who love money but hate capitalism!