Criminal background checks on fundraising bundlers

[Adelante]

NEW YORK, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign said it will begin "vigorous" criminal background checks on its major fundraisers, it was reported Tuesday.

Clinton's campaign disclosed Monday night it is hiring additional staff members to check the backgrounds of the dozens of people, known as "bundlers," who raise thousands of dollars for a campaign, The New York Times reported.

-snip

Former Sen. John Edwards’ Democratic presidential campaign said it began doing background checks on bundlers after Hsu’s troubles surfaced. Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's campaign said it, too, vets donors, but didn't say if that included criminal checks, the Times said.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/09/11/clinton_campaign_to_return_money/2153/

[Caution]

1. And why can't people with a crime in their past donate money to a political campaign?

Just another way of disenfranchising the rights of those with a "criminal" past.

[Totally Committed]

2. Do you know what a "bundler" is?

It is a donor that donates massive amounts of cash to a campaign by "bundling together" contributions he or she is able to collect from others.

My guess is that a campaign would take a legal contribution from any individual, but that "bundlers" will be checked out, so that ALL the money they are responsible for will not have to be returned in the event that there is a question about the legality of the genesis of the "bundle".

TC

[Broke Dad]

4. Hsu used straw people to make the $850,000 donations to little Hill

Apparently little Hill is feeling the heat from Obama and she has to use fugitive felons to bundle and raise money for her.

It is a good thing her disciplined flawless campaign is finally going to do background checks on its bag men!

[rinsd]

5. Except Hsu gave money and had others give money to Obama as well.

The Obama campaign donated the direct donations by Hsu to charity and was investigating other Hsu related money. I assume they have or in short order will return the other Hsu tainted cash. Neither campaign needs it.

Also in yet another example of John Edwards 2008 pretending John Edwards 2004 doesn't exist, Jefferey Flieger was arrested for illegally funneling nearly $200K for his 2004 run. Edawrds campaign claims he had no knowledge.

[Clark2008]

8. Heh... best sentence fragment of the day:

Also in yet another example of John Edwards 2008 pretending John Edwards 2004 doesn't exist...

[Totally Committed]

6. Exactly... and that's why I agree with the policy of background checks on bundlers.

I agree with you.

TC

[rinsd]

7. This should have been part of standard vetting of bundlers.

Lesson learned I guess. For some campaigns, a much harder one.

[karynnj]

3. They can

but the campaign has the right to know up front about this past. If they feel that the person's life overall is such that it will not hurt them, they can still willingly accept the bundler. No one is speaking of checking out everyone who sends in a check.