WASHINGTON, October 11, 2023 – OpenSecrets joins over a dozen organizations from across the political spectrum today to urge the campaigns of President Joe Biden and Republican presidential hopefuls to publicly report information about their top campaign fundraisers — often referred to as “bundlers” — on a regular basis ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
“Government accountability depends on transparency in our campaign finance system, and that includes transparency about presidential campaign bundlers. Bundlers frequently raise vast sums of money for candidates, often hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars, which may help them 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,” the new letter states.
“Disclosing bundlers who wield influence at the highest levels is a critical part of empowering voters to make informed decisions about candidates who will shape our nation’s future,” said OpenSecrets Executive Director Sheila Krumholz.
“Meaningful transparency means we know who's giving how much to whom, including the checks being gathered by their bundlers. Without a clear understanding of the financial impact these bundlers have on presidential candidates, the American public is left in the dark about who holds the most significant sway — and to whom candidates may be beholden,” Krumholz said.
It has long been a bipartisan tradition for presidential candidates to voluntarily report information about their bundlers. Over the years, this transparency practice has been embraced by Democrats and Republicans alike, including former President George W. Bush, former President Barack Obama, Senator John McCain and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Federal campaign finance law already requires presidential campaigns to regularly report detailed information about any federal lobbyists who bundle campaign contributions on the campaign's behalf. Presidential candidates can demonstrate their commitment to transparency by taking the next step and implementing robust bundler disclosure systems.
The letter calls upon the campaigns to implement systems for releasing meaningful information about campaign bundlers regularly throughout the 2024 election cycle, detailing specific information about the amounts raised by each bundler.
This disclosure can be synchronized with the Federal Election Commission's reporting deadlines, ensuring that the public and the press can easily identify the individuals raising substantial sums for the presidential campaigns, including their locations, employers, and occupations.
Signatories include:
American Promise
Business for America
Campaign Legal Center
Common Cause
Democracy 21
Issue One
League of Women Voters of the United States
Michigan Campaign Finance Network
National Legal and Policy Center
OpenSecrets
Project On Government Oversight
Public Citizen
RepresentUs
Take Back Our Republic Action
