Take a look at the names on this site, because these people will be the major participants in the 2005 presidential administration, under either Gush or Kerry, whoever wins the election in November.

Tracking the influence of private money in the presidential campaigns. So far, donors have given: Bush $228,000,000 / Kerry $186,000,000 [sources]
Who Is Bankrolling the Bush and Kerry Campaigns?

The Bush and Kerry campaigns have raised an unprecedented $414 million during the primary season, relying to a significant extent on the efforts of more than 1,000 corporate executives, lawyers, lobbyists and other wealthy special interests who have maximized their political influence by bundling a large number of individual contributions for the candidate of their choice. A new analysis by Public Citizen offers a side-by-side comparison of the minimum amounts bundled by key industries for each candidate.

As of June 30, the president had raised $42 million more than his opponent, so it's no surprise that he collected more than Kerry from most key industries. But executives from the energy, transportation, construction and agriculture sectors bundled contributions almost exclusively for Bush. However, Kerry has raised significantly more than Bush from lawyers and the media/entertainment industry. Several industries – finance, in particular – have given eye-popping amounts to both candidates.

Read this announcement
See the chart comparing the amount bundled by key industries for each candidate.

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Kerry Campaign Bankrolled by 564 Big-Money Bundlers


*NEW* Borrowing a page from the Bush campaign's playbook, Sen. John Kerry's phenomenal fundraising drive increasingly has relied on bundling by deep-pocketed Democrats – 564 of whom each have collected at least $50,000 for Kerry's campaign.

Taking in an average of more than $1 million a day since securing the Democratic nomination on Super Tuesday, Kerry has raised more than $180 million so far. Though much of this total has been raised in small donations, mostly brought in over the Internet, Kerry also has turned to big-money bundlers. Kerry's 266 "vice chairs" (who have raised at least $100,000) and 298 "co-chairs" (who have collected at least $50,000) have accounted for at least $41.5 million, or 23 percent – and likely much more – of Kerry's total fundraising.

View the list of Kerry's new $100,000 Vice Chairs
View the list of Kerry's new $50,000 Vice Chairs
See the number of Kerry bundlers by State.
See how much Kerry has raised from key industries.
Search the updated database of Kerry bundlers.

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62 Super Rangers Round Up $28.5 Million for Bush Campaign Efforts


*UPDATED* The biggest of President Bush's big-money backers were revealed yesterday when the Republican National Committee (RNC) released the names of 62 "Super Rangers" – fundraisers who have collected at least $28.5 million for Bush's re-election efforts, according to an analysis by Public Citizen.

The "Super Rangers" are high-powered fundraisers who have collected at least $300,000 for the RNC. All but a handful of these rainmakers already ranked among President Bush's largest financial backers. Forty-five of the Super-Rangers previously had been crowned "Rangers" – meaning they each have raised at least $500,000 this cycle. Nine more had achieved "Pioneer" status by collecting at least $100,000 for Bush.

The Democratic National Committee also has an equivalent to the Super-Rangers called "Trustees." These individuals have raised at least $250,000 for the party. All but five of the 17 Trustees also have collected at least $100,000 for the Kerry campaign.

Read this announcement.
View the list of Super Rangers.
See the number of Super Rangers by State.
See which key industries the Super Rangers represent.
View a list of DNC Trustees.

Bush Profits from the Medicare Drug War


In the final push for Medicare prescription drug legislation, the pharmaceutical industry, HMOs and related interests spent more money and hired more lobbyists in 2003 than ever before, according to The Medicare Drug War, a new report by Public Citizen. The pharmaceutical and managed care industries spent a combined $141 million last year. Drugmakers and HMOs hired 952 individual lobbyists in 2003 – nearly half of whom had "revolving door" connections to Congress, the White House or the executive branch.

Drug industry and HMO executives and lobbyists also rank among President Bush's elite fundraisers. Twenty-one executives and lobbyists achieved "Ranger" or "Pioneer" status. These Rangers and Pioneers have collected at least $3.4 million for Bush so far. In addition, two of John Kerry's biggest backers were lobbyists on the drug industry payroll in 2003.

Learn more about The Medicare Drug War.
View a list of Rangers and Pioneers from the drug and managed care industries.

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14 More Pioneers Collect Big Money for Bush


*UPDATE* The Bush campaign now boasts 525 major contributors, including 14 newly identified Pioneers. This elite group of "bundlers" has collected at least $81.1 million for the president's re-election bid.

The Bush campaign now has 211 Rangers and 314 Pioneers. Notables newly identified as Pioneers include Irl Englehardt, CEO of coal giant Peabody Energy; George David, CEO of defense contractor United Technologies; and Cesar V. Conda, a former assistant for domestic policy to Vice President Dick Cheney. Three previously identified Pioneers from 2004 have been elevated to Ranger status.

View the list of new Rangers and Pioneers.
See the number of Rangers and Pioneers by State.
See how much Bush has raised from key industries.
Search the updated Rangers and Pioneers database.

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New Report: Special Interest Takeover


The Center for American Progress and OMB Watch have released a comprehensive report prepared on behalf of the Citizens for Sensible Safeguards Coalition (of which Public Citizen is a member) that details the Bush administration's record of dismantling protections for public health, food safety, the environment and corporate responsibility.

"Special interests have taken over our government from top to bottom, turning back years of progress on health, safety and the environment," the report concludes. "That this puts the public and our natural resources at significant risk seems to be of little concern to the Bush administration. Rather, the administration appears to view government as an instrument to enrich its political allies."

The report and list of members of the coalition
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The Dirtiest Power Plants Are Plugged into the Bush Administration


*NEW* The dirtiest power plants in the U.S. generate more than their share of harmful pollution. And their parent corporations go the extra mile to generate campaign cash for President Bush.

The dirtiest facilities represent only 5 percent of the nation's plants, but cause 43 percent of sulfur dioxide, 31 percent of carbon dioxide and 43 percent of mercury emitted by the entire power sector. When the corporations that owned these plants faced EPA enforcement, the utility industry generated $6.6 million for Bush's campaigns -- and gained influence over administration policies in return.

Read the press release.
Read this report, America's Dirtiest Power Plants: Plugged into the Bush Administration.
Read about New Source Review in Public Citizen's report EPA's Smoke Screen.
See a list of all of our reports.

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New TPJ Report Exposes "Payola Pioneering"


A new report by our colleagues at Texans for Public Justice - Payola Pioneering: Exposing the Bush Pioneer/Ranger Network - is now available. The report details the economic interests behind the elite Bush donors and looks at federal appointments, government policies, federal contracts and other perks these big donors received.


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Bush Campaign Ads: Brought to You by . . . Special Interests


As President Bush prepares to launch a multimillion-dollar campaign ad blitz, Public Citizen today released a report outlining who helped pay for the campaign ads and what favors they have received during his presidency.

In the report, Bush Campaign Ads: Brought to You by . . . Special Interests, Public Citizen details how much money representatives from key industries – including finance, real estate, communications, energy, health care, and insurance – have helped raise and lists the tax breaks, regulatory changes, legislative favors and plum appointments Bush has given his backers. Many of the beneficiaries of his policies are Rangers and Pioneers, terms Bush gives donors who bundle contributions that total at least $200,000 and $100,000 respectively.

Public Citizen's report also finds that the 416 Bush Rangers and Pioneers have bundled together at least $58.1 million for the 2004 campaign and that 90 percent of them (374) represent the special interests of America's corporations.

Click here to read the announcement.
Click here to read the Executive Summary
Click here to read the report.

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Somebody's Watching


In July 30, President Bush was asked how he planned to spend so much money in a primary campaign with no opposition.

"Just watch," Bush replied.

Common Cause has taken up that challenge. At its Just Watch! web site, they have detailed profiles of some of the Rangers and Pioneers, a look at recent news, and other materials. You can check it out by clicking here.


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Elite Fundraisers Deliver "Bundles" of Donations to Democrats Who Abandoned Public Financing


While not approaching the scope of President Bush's unparalleled fundraising operations, the presidential campaigns of Howard Dean and John Kerry haven't been shy about reaching out to their own elite networks of big money bundlers to help finance their campaigns.

Although Dean has raised $12 million more than Kerry, the Massachusetts senator has relied on four times the number of bundlers. So far, the Dean campaign has released the names of 14 individuals who have raised at least $100,000; another 18 individuals have bundled at least $50,000 for the Vermont governor. The Kerry campaign has identified 32 fundraisers who have brought in at least $100,000; another 87 rainmakers have collected at least $50,000.

Read this announcement
Search the database of Dean and Kerry Bundlers
See a count of Dean supporters by state
See a count of Kerry backers by state

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Bush Rejects Public Financing – Triggers Chase for Big Bucks


Welcome to WhiteHouseForSale.org.

This Web site tracks the influence of private money in the presidential campaigns of those candidates who have opted out of the public campaign financing system – President George Bush, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.).

This site pays particular attention to Bush's fundraising activities because his campaign announced from the outset that it planned to raise as much as $200 million from private donors during a primary season in which he has no opponent. And, as an incumbent president, his reliance on elite fundraisers raises questions about favoritism, conflicts-of-interest and influence peddling related to the large amounts of money they deliver.

Read This Announcement