GOP Presidential Field More Secretive Than Bush On Top Donors

The second quarter for presidential fundraising has come and gone and one thing remains conspicuously missing from the campaign finance revelations: the names of those individuals bundling tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of donations on behalf of White House aspirants.

Among the 2012 presidential candidates, only one is currently revealing the names of his biggest, most influential donors -- and that's the person currently occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Candidates for the Republican primary nomination are, unapologetically, offering the absolute minimum required under federal law.

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"We disclose all of the information about our donors as required by law and anyone who is interested can review it publicly," said Andrea Saul, a spokesperson for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.

"We are following the FEC's disclosure rules to their fullest extent," said Alex Conant, a spokesperson for former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty's presidential campaign.

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Tim Miller, a spokesperson for Jon Huntsman's campaign, confirmed that the former Utah Governor and ex-U.S. Ambassador to China would not be releasing bundlers' names. Other Republican presidential campaigns did not return requests for comment.

Good government groups have been left to simply hope that the leading GOP contenders will change their minds. There is no way to compel them to do so other than public shaming and pressure.

"In the last presidential election, Obama was fairly quick to disclose his bundlers. John McCain was like pulling teeth, but we got him to do it," recalled Craig Holman, a campaign finance lobbyist for Public Citizen, a government watchdog group.
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"This election, we have no word on what the Republican presidential candidates are planning to do," Holman added, describing the process as more and more "secretive." "When it comes to the major candidate we have to pretty much embarrass them into disclosing their donors. We bring it up anywhere we can, anywhere they go."

President Obama's reelection campaign has picked up the slack, though staffers complain privately that while they face critical stories about influence peddling among their donors, their potential competitors remain unscathed. On Tuesday morning, the Democratic National Committee blasted around a report on how a Romney bundler had once lobbied for a foreclosure firm. The only reason his name was made public is because the law requires candidates to disclose the name of any registered lobbyist who raises at least $16,000 for their campaign.