Just four of the Democratic presidential candidates so far have either voluntarily disclosed or said they plan to disclose their top individual fundraisers, or "bundlers."
Sixteen political advocacy groups sent a letter two weeks ago to all the major-party candidates for 2020 asking them to disclose their bundlers — the affluent, well-connected people who gather donations from others and deliver those funds in a "bundle" to a campaign. (Campaigns are only required to disclose bundlers who are registered lobbyists and collect at least $18,700.)
The Center for Public Integrity contacted the candidates to ask whether (and how) they planned to disclose the identities of their top fundraisers. These four Democrats said they plan to disclose the information:
- Sen. Kamala Harris of California will publish the names and residential information of bundlers who raise more than $25,000 for her.
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota will disclose her bundlers, and the campaign will detail the when and how in the weeks ahead.
- Rep. Eric Swalwell of California will disclose his bundlers once a quarter.
- Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., released a list of 23 campaign bundlers, but not how much they raised. His campaign said details of further disclosures would come later.
The candidates who did not respond to CPI included President Donald Trump and his only announced GOP challenger, former Gov. Bill Weld of Massachusetts, plus these 10 Democrats:
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts
- Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey
- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York
- Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington
- Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio
- Former Housing Secretary Julián Castro
- Former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland
- Former Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado
- Mayor Wayne Messam of Miramar, Fla.
- Businessman Andrew Yang (But his campaign told one of the cosigners that he would reveal his bundlers once he had some.)
Samantha Shepherd, a child care director in Savannah, Georgia, and a single mom of two girls, said rising gas prices are affecting families at her center, including one mother who may not be able to take her children to school. (Courtesy of Samantha Shepherd)
