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White House Shrugs Off Donor Perk Allegations as Part of Normal ‘Donor Maintenance’
By PoliJAM | October 28, 2009
It should come as no surprise that the man whose Senate seat was embroiled in a pay-to-play controversy involving former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, is now offering White House perks to large Democratic donors.
These perks of course come courtesy of the taxpayers who have to fit the bill for such things as White House bowling, movies, golf events with the president, etc.
During his first nine months in office, President Obama has quietly rewarded scores of top Democratic donors with VIP access to the White House, private briefings with administration advisers and invitations to important speeches and town-hall meetings.
High-dollar fundraisers have been promised access to senior White House officials in exchange for pledges to donate $30,400 personally or to bundle $300,000 in contributions ahead of the 2010 midterm elections, according to internal Democratic National Committee documents obtained by The Washington Times.
Faced with these allegations that they were handing out special perks to big donors, White House officials argued that there was no quid pro quo and that this was just all part of normal “donor maintenance.”
DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse said,
“The DNC routinely identifies appropriate opportunities for party supporters to meet their leaders in the administration and the Democratic congressional majority. This is true for donors, grass-roots activists and others who are engaged and active on behalf of our party in different ways and who welcome the chance to meet their leadership.”
The White House contrasted their actions to the Clinton administration, saying the Obama White House was offering fewer perks than during President Clinton’s time in office, who granted donors with overnight stays in the White House Lincoln Bedroom.
RNC Chairman Michael S. Steele had fun with the comparisons between the Clinton White House and the Obama White House, emailing
“WELCOME TO RESORT OBAMA. President Sells Access To And Amenities Of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue To Highest Democrat Bidders — Bill Clinton turned the White House into a hotel and coffee shop. — Now President Obama has turned the White House into a full-service resort complete with amenities for the highest Democrat bidder.”
So access to the White House grounds and to high profile individuals within the Obama administration is considered normal “donor maintenance?”
Is this the ‘politics of change’ that was promised?
CBS’ Chip Reid presses White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on the donor perk report:
Fox News interviews (video below) Jeffrey Brinbaum of the Washington Times on the report of White House perks for donations:
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