In an effort spearheaded by Issue One, 13 organizations from across the ideological spectrum are urging Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to publicly reveal information about their top campaign fundraisers before Election Day.
Often referred to as “bundlers” for the literal or metaphorical bundles of checks they collect, these elite fundraisers frequently raise vast sums of money for presidential candidates, often hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars. This enables them to ingratiate themselves — and curry favor — with those candidates. Under both Democratic and Republican administrations, campaign bundlers have received plum postings, such as ambassadorships and positions on commissions.
“Government accountability depends on transparency in our campaign finance system, and that includes transparency about presidential campaign bundlers,” the groups state in the new letters, which were recently mailed and e-mailed to the campaigns of Vice President Harris, former President Trump, and Mr. Kennedy, who suspended his campaign in August but continues to urge his supporters in non-battleground states to vote for him.
The letters continue: “Your campaign is already required by law to regularly report detailed information about any federal lobbyists who bundle campaign contributions on your behalf. Implementing a robust bundler disclosure system that publicly displays information about all individuals who raise $50,000 or more for your campaign would help demonstrate your commitment to transparency.”