Dems Won't Disclose Donors to Convention As Promised

(Newsroom America) -- Democratic National Convention officials have announced they won't release the names of donors to the event until after it is over, despite an earlier pledge to regularly disclose contributors.

In marketing literature, the party promises that the “people’s convention," which is scheduled to begin Sept. 3, in Charlotte, N.C., will be the “most open and accessible ever," the Washington Post reported in Wednesday editions.

However, donors' names - some of whom will contribute $100,000 or more - will remain under wraps until federal disclosure reports are due Oct. 15, a full six weeks after the event ends and the public's attention is focused on the national election, the paper said.

A central theme of Democrats' convention efforts this year has been transparency, with some Democratic lawmakers even suggesting legislation to require full disclosure.

And, in a recent email to supporters, Obama campaign manager Jim Mesina asked for signatures on a petition calling on conservative interest groups to reveal the names of their donors, said the Post.

"They have a vested interest in being able to spend millions anonymously to influence our elections," said Messina, in his email.

In addition, President Barack Obama has been publicly pushing GOP rival Mitt Romney to release multiple years' worth of tax returns, as top Democrats including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada even suggesting Romney may have violated tax laws.

Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Responsible Politics, told the paper the decision not to disclose convention donors until a few weeks before the national election "just seems to run counter to the message that this is the people’s convention. You’d think transparency would be something celebrated, not reduced."

A ban on corporate money has left Democratic convention planners scrambling to find enough funding.

The convention's host committee, known as Charlotte in 2012, has posted on its Web site that it would reveal names of donors "on an ongoing basis."

In a response emailed to the Post, committee spokeswoman Suzi Emmerling said the Web site "has not been updated for some time and is not consistent with our current policies. Our current policy is that we will file a report and make information available compliant with FEC guidelines."

The Post said Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt declined comment.

The host committee for the Republican National Convention, which will hold its event in Tampa, Fla., also does not disclose donors but has logos from 26 corporate sponsors such as Google and Walmart on its Web site.

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