What do actor Will Smith, UnitedHealth Group Executive Vice President Anthony Welters and Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs have in common?
All were recently identified as bundlers by the Obama campaign, raising at least $500,000 for the Obama Victory Fund.
In fact, 11 new bundlers were added to the campaign’s list of “volunteer fundraisers” this week.
A new analysis from the Center for Public Integrity examines the new rainmakers, many of whom have close connections to the influence industry, despite the fact that President Barack Obama prides himself on rejecting campaign contributions from registered lobbyists.
Overall, 769 bundlers collectively raised more than $186 million for the victory fund, a joint fundraising committee that benefited Obama’s presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties in several battleground states.
Read the Center’s full analysis here.