A ROSTER OF $10,000 DONORS HELP MALLOY DRIVE DEMOCRATS TO 3-1 ADVANTAGE Of the $1.5 million raised this year by Democrats, $430,000 came from a roster of donors who wrote $10,000 checks, the maximum allowed by law. Those donors include top executives of the state’s largest utility, the company that manages state athletic venues, a major state landlord, a provider of state parking services and developers of a major real-estate project supported by state assistance. Brian McAllister of New York, the chief executive of a ferry company that has urged the state to build a new terminal in Bridgeport, wrote two $10,000 checks, one for the party’s federal account and another to its state account. Republicans say the disparity suggests a resurgence of a belief in “pay to play,” the perception that those who do business with the state are best served by making contributions, even if there are no explicit demands of a quid pro quo. Just as Republicans held the fundraising edge when John G. Rowland was governor, the advantage now clearly lies with Malloy’s party. “The big concern is the fact that Gov. Malloy, with the help of a Democratic legislature, weakened our campaign finance laws, opened up those laws to allow greater influence of special interest money,” said Senate Minority Leader John P. McKinney, a candidate for governor. “And the governor is now engaging in raising as much of that special-interest money so it can be directly supportive of his re-election.” Essentially, the state now has two sets of contradictory campaign financing rules: one provides public financing to candidates who agree to accept donations of no more than $100 and abide by spending limits that vary by office; the other allows maximum donations of $10,000 and unlimited spending. Malloy stands astride both systems.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 03:23:56 +0000
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