I expected more of a hit-piece from Richard Goldstein, the executive editor of the Village Voice who's writing their Press Clips column these days, on me and my recent looks at political giving by media personalities, but on balance, I like what he wrote. Although he adopts a dismissive tone, Goldstein nonetheless calls attention to the issue of media transparency.

There is one part of his column that needs addressing. Goldstein berates me for not having research and posted data on the following conservative pundits: Tucker Carlson, Robert Novak, George Will and William F. Buckley.

Guess it wasn't good enough that as a one-man operation, I spent the time looking at FEC and state campaign finance disclosure forms on dozens and dozens of reporters and outlets, in Goldstein's eyes. He was interested in those columnists and any giving they may have done. Fair enough.

But Goldstein doesn't explain why he couldn't find half an hour to visit tray.com and look at the columnists' files himself. Or assign an intern or two from the Village Voice to do so.

Granted, my method and scope in this personal project of mine isn't perfect, thoroughly comprehensive or scientific.

However, the Village Voice does possess the resources necessary to perform better research on the columnists' campaign donations. Heck, so does Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, Accuracy in Media, the Columbia Journalism Review, the Poynter Institute, et al., but instead of nudging them to get cracking at investigating such donations, Goldstein chides me, as if I have the resources to carry out the kind of research _he_ wants.

Since Goldstein couldn't be bothered to examine donations by those opinion writers, and the president and publisher of Buckley's National Review, I did it for him. Took all of thirty minutes, including looking at records from California.

First of all, going back to 1980, no donations showed up for Novak, Will and Thomas. Only one contribution turned up for Carlson.

Secondly, looking only at giving by Buckley and colleagues in the current federal election cycle, they've done quite a bit of checkwriting. Of course, they've done much more giving in other elections, but sharing that data in this post would make it as long as "Anna Karenna." As always, you can find all of the federal donations from Carlson, Buckley and crew at tray.com.

Third, they all donated to conservative politicians and PACs.

And if you, or Goldstein want to research state campaign finance disclosures, check out this site, which lists the links to such sites.

Goldstein's column appears below after some data on Carlson, Buckley and his colleagues.
^^^

BUCKLEY, JR. WILLIAM F. MR. JR., NATIONAL REVIEW, EDITOR, STAMFORD, CT 06902
SIMON FOR GOVERNOR, BILL, ID#1233478

$2,000.00

5/23/2001



SIMON FOR GOVERNOR, BILL, ID#1233478

$2,000.00

5/28/2002


SIMON FOR GOVERNOR, BILL, ID#1233478

$500.00

1/31/2002



RHODES THOMAS L. MR., NATIONAL REVIEW, PRESIDENT, NEW YORK, NY 10016
SIMON FOR GOVERNOR, BILL, ID#1233478

$25,000.00

5/29/2002

SIMON FOR GOVERNOR, BILL, ID#1233478

$2,500.00

2/13/2002

(Source: CA campaign disclosures)


FEDERAL DONATIONS

CARLSON, TUCKER S
3/22/1995 $1,000.00
ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314
THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION -[Contribution]
ALEXANDER FOR PRESIDENT INC

Buckley, William F. Mr. Jr.
6/12/2000 $500.00
Stamford, CT 06902
National Review/Author/Editor -[Contribution]
BUSH FOR PRESIDENT INC

BUCKLEY, WILLIAM F. MR. JR.
6/24/2002 $200.00
STAMFORD, CT 06902
NATIONAL REVIEW/EDITOR -[Contribution]
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE CONTRIBUTIONS

Buckley, William F. Mr. Jr.
10/4/2002 $250.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/Editor-At-Large -[Contribution]
NATIONAL CONSERVATIVE CAMPAIGN FUND


Buckley Jr., William F.
10/13/2003 $250.00
Stamford, CT 06902
National Review/Editor at Large -[earmarked contribution]
JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC.


Buckley, William
3/26/2004 $250.00
Stamford, CT 06902
National Review/Editor -[Contribution]
CHRISTOPHER SHAYS FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


Buckley, William
6/29/2004 $500.00
Stamford, CT 06902
National Review -[Contribution]
CHRISTOPHER SHAYS FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


BUCKLEY, WILLIAM F MR. JR.
12/31/2003 $2,500.00
Stamford, CT 06902
National Review/Editor At Large -[Contribution]
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE


Buckley, William F Mr. Jr.
3/24/2004 $500.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review Inc/Writer -[Contribution]
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE


Buckley, William F. Jr. Mr.
10/17/2003 $250.00
Stamford, CT 06902
National Review/Editor at Large -[Contribution]
WESTMORELAND FOR CONGRESS

CAPANO, EDWARD A MR.
5/12/2004 $1,000.00
WESTFIELD, NJ 07090
NATIONAL REVIEW/PUBLISHER -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC


Rhodes, Thomas
5/27/2004 $5,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC


Rhodes, Thomas
6/5/2003 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC


Rhodes, Thomas
5/27/2004 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC


Rhodes, Thomas
2/6/2004 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC


Rhodes, Thomas
2/6/2004 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC


Rhodes, Thomas
3/15/2004 $1,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC


Rhodes, Thomas
5/19/2004 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC


Rhodes, Thomas
5/27/2004 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC


Rhodes, Thomas
3/12/2003 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC


RHODES, THOMAS
6/13/2003 $2,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10016
NATIONAL REVIEW -[Contribution]
PRO-GROWTH ACTION TEAM (PAT-PAC)


RHODES, THOMAS
3/24/2003 $2,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10016
NATIONAL REVIEW -[Contribution]
PRO-GROWTH ACTION TEAM (PAT-PAC)


Rhodes, Thomas
5/19/2004 $5,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[Contribution]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC


Rhodes, Thomas
11/21/2003 $5,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[Contribution]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC

RHODES, THOMAS
6/8/2004 $2,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10016
NATIONAL REVIEW -[Contribution]
COBURN FOR SENATE COMMITTEE

Rhodes, Thomas
5/27/2004 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC


Rhodes, Thomas
5/27/2004 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC


Rhodes, Thomas
6/15/2004 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC

Rhodes, Thomas
5/19/2004 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC

Rhodes, Thomas
11/28/2003 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[Contribution]
JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC.

Rhodes, Thomas
3/17/2003 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/president -[Contribution]
CARL ISETT CAMPAIGN

RHODES, THOMAS
5/24/2004 $2,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10016
NATIONAL REVIEW -[Contribution]
CAIN FOR US SENATE


Rhodes, Thomas
2/11/2004 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked contribution]
RICO OLLER FOR CONGRESS

Rhodes, Thomas
5/25/2004 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/president -[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF CONNIE MACK

Rhodes, Thomas
2/9/2004 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked contribution]
WOHLGEMUTH FOR CONGRESS

Rhodes, Thomas
3/22/2004 $1,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked contribution]
WOHLGEMUTH FOR CONGRESS


Rhodes, Thomas
3/12/2003 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[earmarked intermediary out]
CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC


Rhodes, Thomas Mr.
11/28/2003 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10016
National Review/President -[Contribution]
WESTMORELAND FOR CONGRESS

- - -

The Village Voice
July 28, 2004

Dust Raking

by Richard Goldstein


There are no rules in American journalism. Each publication sets its own standards, and that's how the Founding Parents wanted it. Some places permit reporters or editors to donate to campaigns; others do not. (The Voice has no policy.) I've always regarded my writing as my contribution, a philosophy that has saved me some cash and embarrassment over the years. But it doesn't affect the way I think. I'd be a godless faggot leftie whether or not I forked over a few bucks to the Girlie Men—i.e., Democrats.

On the Internet, however, every caesura is silence = death. Lately blogland has been aghast at the shock-horror news that some journos have been giving money to candidates. It all began about four months ago, when Michael Petrelis, a militant AIDS activist whose work has sometimes been useful and sometimes not, began poring over records via an info site called tray.com. What he discovered has persuaded a number of media outfits to come clean about their protocols on political donating.

That's good. The more readers know about the internal operations of the press, the better. Thanks to Petrelis, The New York Times reiterated its no-giving rule and noted that several generous staffers were "highly contrite" when confronted with his findings. But they still have their jobs. The San Francisco Chronicle suspended its letters editor for making contributions in violation of the paper's policy (i.e., journalists must consult a top editor before they bestow).

Some of Petrelis's disclosures are surprising. I would have thought PBS staffers donate mostly to Democrats, but Petrelis reports that they give about equally to both parties. Still, what is this revelation really worth? It doesn't tell us anything about PBS's political and social bias. That network tilts liberal, not withstanding Tucker Carlson's new show (a wan attempt to channel William F. Buckley with better hair). I'm not surprised that National Public Radio employees overwhelmingly give to Democrats, but that doesn't change the fact that NPR favors conservative guests, as demonstrated by a recent Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting study. In other words, you can't make assumptions about an institution's politics from the spending of its staff.

"I don't want publishers saying their reporters can't make donations," Petrelis insists. Instead, he thinks newspapers and magazines should state their policies "on their websites and have a page that permanently gives you disclosure information. You can make up your own mind if there was any sort of political bias." Sounds reasonable—but what would you actually learn from that information? Is a reporter who gives to a candidate incapable of objectivity? Is a journalist who doesn't give incapable of bias?

The Nation would be the same font of progressive thinking even if its editor, Katrina vanden Heuvel, hadn't donated a lot of money to assorted Democrats, as Petrelis discovered. Nor would New Yorker executive editor Hendrik Hertzberg, another Petrelis target, be less liberal if he weren't a Kerry donor. (After all, Hertzberg was a speechwriter for Jimmy Carter in another life.) So where's the muck?

When she was editor of the Voice, Karen Durbin called this kind of journalism "dust raking." It treats any infraction, no matter how minor, as proof of big-time corruption. All readers remember is that someone they didn't like in the first place has done something wrong. It doesn't take much to convince most people that the press is a fen of liberal bias, and that may be a perception Petrelis means to reinforce. Most of the journos he's selected for scrutiny are liberals. Robert Novak, George Will, Cal Thomas, and the aforementioned Tucker C. are all among the prominent conservative writers he has yet to investigate. William F. Buckley has made "tons of donations," according to Petrelis, but this sleuth has yet to post the evidence. "I was primarily focused on daily newspapers," he says. That doesn't account for his obsession with vanden Heuvel and Hertzberg.

It's not surprising, since Petrelis is an out and proud Naderite. Like his hero, he seems to believe the worst enemy is the one closest to him. Blogland is full of people like that. In the wake of Petrelis's crusade, davidM at blogspot.com has discovered that an "astonishing 92 percent" of donations from Ivy League academics went to Kerry. Could've fooled me.

What next? Easter Parade Reporter Won't Accept Jesus?

Over the weekend in Boston Theresa Heinz Kerry rightfully told Colin McNickle, the editorial page editor of the conservative Pittsburgh Tribune Review, to "shove it" in response to questions he shouted at her.

On this morning's NBC Today Show, Katie Couric asked her if she regretted her remark to McNickle.

Her response: “No, I don't. And I think that I say what I believe. I'm plain-spoken. I really wanted him to back off, you know, back off. And he and reporters generally don't do this — they don't trap you and they don't misrepresent you when they talk to you. That's exactly what he did. I didn't know who he was and I heard him say two words that [were] not what I had said. I saw the potential of a misrepresentation and so I defended myself. Wouldn't you if someone attacked you like that?”

You go, girl!

The Heinz Kerry/McNickle feud led me to check Federal Election Commission records to see if McNickle has made any donations in the current election cycle, and he apparently hasn't.

However, his boss, mogul and funder of numerous right-wing causes and think tanks Richard Mellow Scaife, along with his wife, Margaret "Ritchie" Battle Scaife, have been extremely generous in their donations to the Bush/Cheny reelection campaign and conservative PAC.

A search on Google for evidence Mr. Scaife has disclosed his donations in his publication turned up nothing.

Two things about Mrs. Scaife's political giving were eyebrow raising.

First, she donated $2,000 last year to Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign. (Gotta wonder what the hubby and journalists at the Tribune Review think of that donation.)

Second, she's also contributed to the Wish List, which is a pro-choice PAC.

Her donations to Kerry and the Wish List reveal some liberal tendencies on Mrs. Scaife's part, at least in the past two years.

If you want to know about the Scaife's giving at the federal level, visit http://www.tray.com/.
^^^

SCAIFE, R M
6/28/2003 $2,000.00
PITTSBURGH, PA 15219
TRIBUNE-REVIEW PUB CO -[Contribution]
PRO-GROWTH ACTION TEAM (PAT-PAC)

SCAIFE, R M
6/28/2003 $2,000.00
PITTSBURGH, PA 15219
TRIBUNE-REVIEW PUB CO -[Contribution]
PRO-GROWTH ACTION TEAM (PAT-PAC)

Scaife, Richard
12/22/2003 $75,000.00
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Sarah Scaife Foundation -[Contribution to a 527 organization]
CLUB FOR GROWTH

Scaife, Richard
4/26/2004 $50,000.00
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Sarah Scaife Foundation -[Contribution to a 527 organization]
CLUB FOR GROWTH

SCAIFE, RICHARD M. MR.
8/18/2003 $2,000.00
PITTSBURGH, PA 15219
TRIBUNE-REVIEW PUBLISHING COMPANY/P -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC

Scaife, Richard M. Mr.
7/21/2003 $25,000.00
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Tribune - Review Publishing/Publish -[Contribution]
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE

SCAIFE, RITCHIE
6/28/2003 $2,000.00
PITTSBURGH, PA 15232
TRIBUNE-REVIEW PUB CO -[Contribution]
PRO-GROWTH ACTION TEAM (PAT-PAC)

Scaife, Ritchie
4/25/2003 $2,000.00
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Self-Employed/Homemaker -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

SCAIFE, RITCHIE
6/28/2003 $2,000.00
PITTSBURGH, PA 15232
TRIBUNE-REVIEW PUB CO -[Contribution]
PRO-GROWTH ACTION TEAM (PAT-PAC)

SCAIFE, RITCHIE MR.
8/13/2003 $2,000.00
PITTSBURGH, PA 15232
HOMEMAKER -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC

Scaife, Ritchie Mrs.
5/19/2004 $1,000.00
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Housewife -[Contribution]
THE WISH LIST

Scaife, Ritchie Mrs.
6/20/2003 $1,000.00
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Housewife -[Contribution]
THE WISH LIST

Scaife, Ritchie Mrs.
7/21/2003 $25,000.00
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Homemaker -[Contribution]
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Oops, I made a mistake in asserting the AP doesn't have a policy prohibiting its reporters from donating to candidates and PAC.

The wire service does bar such contributions, and in the interests of fairness, I am posting this note from the AP's managing editor on my blog.
^^^


Forwarded Message:
Subj: ap reporters making political contributions
Date: 7/26/2004 2:42:47 PM Central Daylight Time
From: msilverman@ap.org
To: MPetrelis@aol.com
CC: SJohnson@ap.org, DCassata@ap.org, NPickler@ap.org, SSonner@ap.org, MASmith@ap.org, CHaswell@ap.org, KRobinson@ap.org, MHumbert@ap.org, kcarroll@krwashington.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)



Dear M Petrelis:

I am writing in response to an e-mail and blog posting in which you
assert that two current AP political reporters have made contributions
to political parties. Please allow me to correct your misapprehension.
Both Scott Sonner of Reno and Mike Smith of Indianapolis traveled to
Republican National Conventions (in 2000 and 1996 respectively) along
with their delegations, which they were assigned to cover. Their hotel
charges in the host cities were initially charged to the state GOPs, and
in both cases our reporters wrote checks to reimburse the parties.

Through faulty bookkeeping at the parties' end, these payments showed up
as contributions, and despite AP's attempts to correct the record,
apparently continue to be listed as such.

AP does, in fact, have a policy against our reporters contributing to or
working on behalf of political candidates, and we are very mindful of
the conflict of interest such activities would create.

I would greatly appreciate it if you would help set the record straight
by circulating this reply to everyone who received your initial e-mail
and also by posting it on your blog.

Sincerely,

Mike Silverman
AP Managing Editor

[This story was inaccurate and a correction has been attached on the bottom.]

As best as I can determine, the Associated Press wire service does not have a prohibition on reporters giving to political candidates or PACs, so the fact that several AP reporters have made political donations does not appear to violate any of the wire's policies.

The AP Managing Editors ethics code states: "Journalists are encouraged to be involved in their communities, to the extent that such activities do not create conflicts of interest. Involvement in politics, demonstrations and social causes that would cause a conflict of interest, or the appearance of such conflict, should be avoided." (Source: AP guidelines)

Two AP reporters gave to their state GOP committees, still write for the wire and cover politics. They are:

SONNER, SCOTT
6/20/2000 $1,300.00
RENO, NV 89520
ASSOCIATED PRESS -[Contribution]
NEVADA STATE REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE

SMITH, MICHAEL A
8/1/1996 $500.00
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46254
ASSOCIATED PRESS -[Contribution]
INDIANA REPUBLICAN STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE

SMITH, MICHAEL A
8/2/1996 $494.00
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46254
ASSOCIATED PRESS -[Contribution]
INDIANA REPUBLICAN STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
(Source: Political Money Line)

Having read no more than a handful of political stories by Sonner and Smith for the AP, I can't say that I detected any pro-GOP bias in their articles, so maybe their donations haven't overtly influenced their reporting.

But, at the same time, I do think the AP has a responsibility to inform readers that Sonner and Smith gave money to PACs, and let the reader know such facts.

The most recent donation from an AP reporter was the following:

05/22/2002
Singer, Paul
2835 S. Moreland Blvd. Apt. 12
Cleveland, OH 44120
$75.00
reporter Associated Press
Reich, Robert
(Source: MA campaign disclosures)

Reich is a former Bill Clinton labor secretary who ran for governor of Massachusetts.

Google searches on Singer show he wrote for the AP at least up to 2002, but I couldn't find any stories by him after then, so he may no longer be with the wire.

These listings for AP employees came up on the Political Money Line web site. I not sure if Julia Denny Clark or Douglas A. Richardson were on an AP bureau's editorial at the time of their donations, but I include the data on them in the hope that someone can tell if they were reporters or editors for the AP, or worked on the noneditorial staff of the wire service.

And Alan Cooperman is no longer with the AP. He now writes for the Washington Post.

COOPERMAN, ALAN
4/17/1991 $250.00
BROOKLYN, NY 11231
ASSOCIATED PRESS -[Contribution]
CITIZENS FOR CHRISTOPHER HODGKINS

MARTELLO, THOMAS
6/24/1992 $295.00
DOYLESTOWN, PA 18901
ASSOCIATED PRESS -[Contribution]
NEW JERSEY REPUBLICAN STATE COMMITTEE

RICHARDSON, DOUGLAS A
7/28/1992 $500.00
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46220
ASSOCIATED PRESS -[Contribution]
INDIANA REPUBLICAN STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE

RICHARDSON, DOUGLAS A
8/21/1992 $687.00
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46220
ASSOCIATED PRESS -[Contribution]
INDIANA REPUBLICAN STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE

RICHARDS, CHARLES
4/20/1984 $500.00
RALLS, TX 79357
ASSOCIATED PRESS -[Contribution]
DON RICHARDS FOR CONGRESS

CLARK, JULIA DENNY
6/8/1993 $500.00
PRINCETON, NJ 08540
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS -[Contribution]
EMILY'S LIST

CLARK, JULIA DENNY
10/22/1993 $250.00
AMENIA, NY 12501
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS -[Contribution]
EMILY'S LIST

KOEHLER, JOHN O MR
8/3/1979 $670.00
STAMFORD, CT 06902
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NY -[Contribution]
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE - CONTRIBUTIONS (AKA REPUBLICAN NATIONAL FINANCE COMMITTEE

(Source: Political Money Line)

The more I research FEC and state campaign disclosures from reporters and media personalities, the clearer it becomes that journalists are giving money to politicians and causes, and have done so for years.

I don't believe this practice is about to end anytime soon, but it's time for media outlets to disclose to their readers and audiences when donations are made.

Media transparency about political giving will go a long way toward keeping journalism honest and restoring media credibility after the Jayson Blair scandal did much to erode confidence many Americans once had in journalists.

-

Jan. 27, 2006
CORRECTION:

Leading up to the November 2004 election, I devoted much time and attention to donations made by reporters, editors and all sorts of media moguls to candidates and PACs.

Along the way, I learned that when a donation from a journalist showed up on Federal Election Commission records, generally in odd amount, like $341.32, not a nice round $1,000 figure, it often meant the journalists had to pay a fee for legitimate costs associated with newsgathering. But the campaigns, under FEC rules, report the fees paid as donations.

Well, out of the blue, an AP reporter has contacted me about an earlier posting of mine that gave the impression he'd donated to a party, so I'm making amends and sharing his letter.

Hey, Thomas Martello, I stand corrected. Not only am I posting your letter here, I'm also attaching it as a correction to my original mistake. Thanks for keeping me on my toes.
-

Michael:

I just stumbled upon your 2004 report about reporters who made political donations and noticed my name was among those you listed.

For the record, I made no political donation to the New Jersey Republican State Committee in 1992. I covered the New Jersey delegation to the Republican National Convention in Houston for The Associated Press that year. The money was sent to the Republican State Committee as part of the charges it made to news organizations that covered the delegation. I believe this charge was for a bus shuttle they had set up for reporters who wanted to tag along with the delegates; the Republican State Committee had predicted transportation would be a nightmare. I wrote the check and was reimbursed by AP.

The next year, I was surprised to discover the Republican State Committee had included on its list of political donors the names of reporters and news organizations that paid costs to cover the convention. I told the committee leaders this was pretty bone-headed of them, and the news organizations, including AP, pushed to get the names off the list. I can’t remember what eventually happened, but apparently there I am, in cyber-perpetuity, as a journalist who donated to a political party. I’m saying it ain’t so.

For the following decade, the Republicans thought I was a donor, sending me lots of literature, pleas for money and envelopes with elephants on them. It was interesting to see how much harsher the political dialogue gets when political parties think you’re one of their loyal subjects.

As for the check I wrote, it was money poorly spent. I was also assigned to cover the Tennessee delegation that year (go figure), and had little time to wait for shuttle buses. The New Jersey GOP had wrongly warned of traffic messes and taxi cabs were plentiful. I think I got one shuttle ride for AP’s $295.

Thanks for your time.
Sincerely,
Thomas Martello

As I read the story today from yesterday's Denver Post about giving to Colorado's U.S. Senate candidates, I wondered how I could have missed these FEC filings, especially for Katrina van den Heuvel of The Nation.

The answer wasn't hard to decipher: the donations were from reports filed on Thursday, which means the data has not been digitized and web posted. Can't wait until these and other recent reported are made available on the web.

In any event, kudos to the Denver Post reporters Mark Couch and Karen Crummy for the excellent article, and for including van den Heuvel's contribution in the story. An excerpt is below.

Following that is an item from gay conservative Andrew Sullivan's blog Ivy Leaguers giving to Sen. John Kerry gleaned from DavidM's blog, and the donations from van den Heuvel, uncovered by yours truly.

Happy reading!
^^^


Article Published: Friday, July 16, 2004

Coors, Salazar in lead funding Senate races

By Mark P. Couch and Karen E. Crummy
Denver Post Staff Writers

A sports hero, an actor, a beer executive - all contributed to U.S. Senate campaigns in Colorado, according to reports filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission.

Pete Coors, the top money-raising Republican, attracted donations from captains of industry and former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway.

State Attorney General Ken Salazar, the front-running Democrat, gathered tens of thousands of dollars from lawyers nationwide.

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer raised money from casino executives in Las Vegas, political consultants around Washington, D.C., and elected officials along the Front Range.

Mike Miles, an educator from Colorado Springs, did not provide a copy of his finance report. His spokesman last week provided unofficial figures, saying Miles collected about $85,000 for the three-month period and has $60,000 on hand.

The other campaigns expanded on their preliminary reports of last week.

Salazar remained the top money-raiser in the race, collecting $2 million for the three-month period, and $2.5 million since getting into the race in March. He had $1.6 million on hand as of June 30.

Big donors included attorneys at the firm Girardi & Keese in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. It represented Hinkley, Calif., in a suit against Pacific Gas & Electric - the basis for the movie "Erin Brockovich."

"There are people in many professions that support Ken," Salazar campaign spokesman Cody Wertz said.

Salazar also drew donations from former Congress members Tim Wirth and David Skaggs of Colorado, $500 each; Katrina Vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation, $1,000; former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt $500; Kenneth Gart, president of Gart Cos., $500; and actor/director Rob Reiner, $2,000.

[snip]

-

July 24, 2004

Andrew Sullivan's blog item

ACADEMICS FOR KERRY: An astronishing yet unsurprising statistic unearthed by blogger David M. Of all Ivy League faculty donations to candidates, 92 percent went to Kerry. The highest rate of donations to Bush in any Ivy League University is 16 percent - at Princeton. Meanwhile, blogger Michael Petrelis has done some digging on mega-rich socialist, Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of the Nation. She has donated around $145,000 over twenty years to various candidates and organizations.

I found this entry on another blogspot political blog and, of course, am pleased my FEC research inspired someone to do their own research, but this time looking at donations from Ivy League schools.

Kudos to DavidM and his blog.

Friday, July 16, 2004
Political giving at Ivy League schools
davidmblog@softhome.net

I was wondering which candidates the faculty and staff at Ivy League schools were financially supporting. I found the money in politics databases at PoliticalMoneyLine's web site. The data include the Federal Election Commission's records of individuals who contribute over $200 to political campaigns, including in most cases the individuals' employers.

In my queries, I found 792 donations to the 2004 campaigns of Bush and Kerry from individuals employed by Ivy League schools. An astonishing 92% of those donations were to Kerry. Dartmouth had the highest percent for Kerry (97%) and Princeton the highest for Bush (16%). Harvard had more than double the total donations of any other school, while Brown and Dartmouth had the fewest total donations. Here are the results:


Brown: Kerry 24, Bush 3 (Kerry 89%)
Columbia: Kerry 118, Bush 18 (Kerry 87%)
Cornell: Kerry 76, Bush 6 (Kerry 93%)
Dartmouth: Kerry 30, Bush 1 (Kerry 97%)
Harvard: Kerry 280, Bush 17 (Kerry 94%)
Penn: Kerry 38, Bush 2 (Kerry 95%)
Princeton: Kerry 74, Bush 14 (Kerry 84%)
Yale: Kerry 85, Bush 6 (Kerry 93%)
-------------------------------------------
Total: Kerry 725, Bush 67 (Kerry 92%)
The data are imperfect as noted in the methodology section below. However, none of the imperfections seem likely to bias the data significantly in terms of what percentage of gifts went to which campaign.



Methodology and caveats:

I conducted the queries between noon and 2 pm EST, July 16, 2004 from the query page entitled, Find Individual Contributors By Employer/Occupation at the web site www.tray.com. All queries were for the 2004 election cycle only. (Note: the site appears to contain data from the 1980 election cycle onward.)

I defined contributions to the Kerry campaign as contributions to any organization with the word "Kerry" in the title (primarily John Kerry for President Inc and to a lesser extent Kerry Victory 2004). I defined contributions to the Bush campaign as contributions to any organizations with the word "Bush" in the title (primarily Bush-Cheney '04 Inc).

The queries were based on the first characters of the field, "employer/occupation." Some Ivy League employees were likely excluded from my results because they did not start the name of their "employer/occupation" with the name of the school. For example, if someone listed themselves as "Professor, Yale University" instead of "Yale University, Professor," they would not be included in these data.

Some campaign contributors may work for an organization with a name similar to an Ivy League school, in which case they may have been mistakenly included in these results (but in scanning the data, this was quite rare in the data I present).

In the cases of Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton and Yale, I queried the common one-word name of the school. In the cases of Brown and Columbia, I queried "Brown U" and "Columbia U" respectively in order to avoid the multitude of other employers with similar names. In the case of Penn, I queried "University of Penn."

Some people may have given two or more contributions, in which case each contribution is counted separately in these results.

Some people did not have a listing for employer/occupation in the FEC data, in which case they are missing from my results.
_____________
Note: This entry was inspired by M Petrelis's analysis of political giving at print media outlets, which had unfortunately predictable results.

UPDATE: As you may or may not already be aware, members of the Watcher's Council hold a vote every week on what they consider to be the most link-worthy pieces of writing around... per the Watcher's instructions, I am submitting one of my own posts for consideration in the upcoming nominations process.

Here is the most recent winning council post, here is the most recent winning non-council post, here is the list of results for the latest vote, and here is the initial posting of all the nominees that were voted on.

Let me start off with a few disclosures.

I am currently subscribing to The Nation, generally agree with its political stances, and will be ever grateful the magazine published Alexander Cockburn's Feb. 11, 2002, rational column about the hysterical legal troubles brought on by San Francisco's former "progressive" district attorney, whose agenda against me was dictated by a lynch mob. Cockburn and The Nation, in no small way, brought much needed sanity to criminal charges pending against me, and since dropped, so I have a special place for the publication in my political head.

However, I've always found the magazine's editor, Katrina van den Heuvel, in her appearances on TV shout-fests and in her columns, exhibiting quite a few shades of a "poor little rich kid" burden in her politics.

Well, one part of that is true -- she's rich. Or endowed enough to make contributions to federal and state candidates, in amounts that show up on public campaign finance records.

In my hunt for public files on media personalities making political donations, certainly among print outlets, I've not come across anyone who has donated as much money to causes and candidates, as van den Heuvel.

Since 1984, she's written checks totaling $141,499 at the federal level, and at least $5,500 for state candidacies, for a combined amount of $146,999.

A nice bit of pocket change to spread around.

At this point in my study of journalists giving money to politicians and PACs, I have to say, across the political spectrum, from Fox News on the right, and The New Yorker and The Nation on the left, many reporters and editors are writing checks, which can't be such a bad thing because a high number are donating.

If the public, or media critics, had trouble with reporters giving to campaigns, there would be outrage over the practice, and fewer journalists would donate.

But since the reality of the situation is members of the press exercise their rights to participate in the political process by giving money to candidates, I think simple disclosure to readers or the audience, is one ethical way of dealing honestly with such giving.

My hope is that van den Heuvel, in the pages of The Nation, discloses all of her political donations, at federal, state and local levels. At the same time, The Nation could set the standard for acknowledging donations, but also in printing its rules over the practice for readers.

Just as the media rightfully demands transparency from corporations, nonprofit organizations and political institutions, that same degree of transparency is required of the press and reporters.

Here are the federal and a few state level donations from van den Heuvel that I was able to locate on the web.
^^^

STATE LEVEL

03/01/2002
van den Heuvel, Katrina
340 Riverside Dr., # 8B
New York, NY 10025
$500.00
editor The Nation
Reich, Robert
(Source: MA campaign finance site)


VANDEN HEUVEL KATRINA MS.
THE NATION MAGAZINE, EDITOR
NEW YORK, NY 10025
CALIFORNIA EMILY'S LIST, ID#910164
$5,000.00
10/20/2000
MONETARY
Total Monetary
$5,000.00
(Source: CA campaign finance site)


FEDERAL LEVEL

Vanden Heuvel, Katrina
3/5/2004 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10025
The Nation Magazine/Editor -[Contribution]
SOUTH DAKOTA WOMEN VOTE!

Vanden Heuvel, Katrina
4/8/2004 $33,334.00
New York, NY 10025
The Nation Magazine -[Contribution to a 527 organization]
EMILYS LIST NON FEDERAL

Vanden Huevel, Katrina
3/7/2003 $16,666.00
New York, NY 10025
The Nation Magazine -[Contribution to a 527 organization]
EMILYS LIST NON FEDERAL

Vanden Huevel, Katrina
10/28/2003 $33,332.00
New York, NY 10025
The Nation Magazine -[Contribution to a 527 organization]
EMILYS LIST NON FEDERAL

Vanden Huevel, Katrina
8/4/2003 $16,667.00
New York, NY 10025
The Nation Magazine -[Contribution to a 527 organization]
EMILYS LIST NON FEDERAL

Vanden Heuvel, Katrina Ms.
3/1/2002 $5,000.00
New York, NY 10025
The Nation Magazine/Editor -[Contribution]
EMILY'S LIST


HEUVEL, KATRINA VANDEN
3/17/2000 $1,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
REBECCA YANISCH FOR US SENATE INC


HUEVEL, KATRINA VANDEN
10/4/2000 $1,000.00
,
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[earmarked contribution]
STABENOW FOR US SENATE


VANDEN HEUVEL, KATRINA
3/26/1999 $5,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
EMILY'S LIST

VANDEN HEUVEL, KATRINA
2/23/2000 $5,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
EMILY'S LIST

HEUVEL, KATRINA
10/12/1998 $1,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF BLANCHE LINCOLN


VANDEN HEUVEL, KATRINA
3/11/1998 $5,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
EMILY'S LIST

HEUVEL, KATRINA VANDEN
5/9/1996 $500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
CONNIE MCBURNEY FOR CONGRESS CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

HEUVEL, KATRINA VANDEN
10/31/1994 $1,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
FEINSTEIN FOR SENATE '94


HEUVEL, KATRINE VANDEN
10/1/1992 $500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
FEINSTEIN FOR SENATE COMMITTEE


VANDEN HEUVEL, KATRINA
11/11/1991 $1,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
FEINSTEIN FOR SENATE COMMITTEE


VANDEN HEUVEL, KATRINA
10/29/1991 $2,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
EMILY'S LIST


HEUVEL, KATRINA VANDEN
9/7/1990 $1,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF ROSA DELAURO


HEUVEL, KATRINA VANDEN
8/14/1989 $500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
ROSARIO KENNEDY FOR CONGRESS


HEUVEL, KATRINA VANDEN
5/2/1990 $500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
CITIZENS FOR WATERS


VANDEN HEUVEL, KATRINA
12/29/1989 $500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
BILL BRADLEY FOR U S SENATE '90


VANDEN HEUVEL, KATRINA
9/26/1989 $2,500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
EMILY'S LIST


VANDEN HEUVEL, KATRINA
6/15/1990 $2,500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
EMILY'S LIST


VANDEN HEUVEL, KSTRINA
8/21/1990 $500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10025
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
JOSIE HEATH FOR U S SENATE INC


HEUVEL, KATRINA VANDEN
3/25/1988 $500.00
NY, NY 10023
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
WILLIAMS FOR CONGRESS


VANDEN HEUVEL, KATRINA
10/1/1987 $1,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10027
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
BILL BRADLEY FOR U S SENATE '90

VANDEN HEUVEL, KATRINA
4/11/1986 $500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10023
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
EMILY'S LIST


VANDEN HEUVEL, KATRINA
4/11/1986 $500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10023
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
EMILY'S LIST

VANDENHEUVEL, KATRINA
6/28/1984 $1,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10023
THE NATION MAGAZINE -[Contribution]
BILL BRADLEY FOR U S SENATE '84

(Source: Political Money Line)

Who know the story about reporters and media personalities donating to political candidates and causes had legs?

If memory serves, this story started almost two weeks ago with an excellent write-up by Joe Strupp for Editor and Publisher about a recent donation from a NY Times Sunday magazine fashion editor donating to Sen. Kerry, and continues today with an item in the NY Post.

And to top it off, none other than Fox News' Roger Ailes is paying attention to it all and sees it as a scandal.

Maybe Fox News will report on the concerns of Ailes.
^^^

July 23, 2004
Page Six
New York Post

CHEERLEADERS

THE New Yorker is clearly for John Kerry. Senior editor Hendrik Hertzberg, who frequently bashes President Bush for the magazine, gave $900 to Kerry's campaign. The magazine prohibits political reporters from contributing to campaigns they cover. But it's not a conflict of interest, a New Yorker rep insists, because Hertzberg is "an opinion writer," not a reporter. "Rick ran it by [editor] David [Remnick] and he was fine with it." Blogger Michael Petrelis uncovered some other New Yorker writers who gave Kerry cash, including Tad Friend ($500), John Lahr ($500), Roger Angell ($500) and David Denby ($1,250). But they're in the clear because they don't write about politics.

- - -

Forwarded Message:
Subj: for background
Date: 7/23/2004 9:52:32 AM Central Daylight Time
From: David_Remnick@newyorker.com
To: MPetrelis@aol.com
CC: Perri_Dorset@newyorker.com, Hendrik_Hertzberg@newyorker.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)


Dear Mr. Petrelis,
Perri Dorset's comments to you earlier on this subject were completely accurate. Rick Hertzberg is not a reporter, but rather in the opinion business and readers would not mistake him for a Republican or conservative any more than they would mistake a leopard for a gazelle. He is fooling no one and not trying to. On the other hand, no one reporting about the campaign should be sending money to it. That's the distinction I make here, though some may disagree.
Best regards,
David Remnick

- - -

Fox News' Roger Ailes' blog

Nobody Reads Roger

Let this be a warning to you. If you don't read Roger, you might find your blog writing checks your ass can't cash at the Check'N'Go. Sully Joe [www.andrewsullivan.com] picks up on the growing scandal of how the big bad media hates Georgie:

JOURNALISTS FOR KERRY: Michael Petrelis has done some digging and found which hacks have given to which candidates. Big surprise: "President George Bush didn't receive a single donation from any outlet or reporter in my search." The New Yorker is, in particular, up to its eyeballs in reporter contributions to lefties and Dems.
Well, yes, it is a big surprise.

Sullivan seems particularly distressed by the revelation that the New Yorker is "up to its eyeballs in reporter contributions to lefties and Dems," by which he means that editor/contributors Hendrik Hertzberg and Roger Angell, film critic David Denby and an attorney for the magazine gave money to John Kerry. I hear the talking dogs in the cartoons are members of PETA, too.

Update: Petrelis Files has posted a correction. Will the hairless hack twins follow suit?

posted by Roger | Comments (6) | 8:58 AM

-
Kaus Bias B.S.

Midget Mickey Kaus posts an expose of those nasty lib'rul journalists throwing money at the Democrats.

Kaus says: "the Petrelis Files has an interesting list of journalists who've contributed to political candidates. ..."

Toward the end, Kaus sprouts mini-wood as he claims: "Rupert Murdoch maxed out ... for Kerry. That must be how he got that big Gephardt scoop!... " And he quotes Petrelis as saying: "President George Bush didn't receive a single donation from any outlet or reporter in my search."

Scandalous! Damn that liberal media!

At the Petrelis Files, the author describes the "search results of my informal survey" with respect to Murdoch as follows:


MURDOCH, RUPERT12/17/2001 $1,000.00NEW YORK, NY 10036NEWS CORPORATION -[Contribution]KERRY COMMITTEE

MURDOCH, RUPERT3/29/2001 $1,000.00NEW YORK, NY 10036NEWS CORPORATION -[Contribution]KERRY COMMITTEE

MURDOCH, K RUPERT12/1/1999 $1,000.00BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210NEWS CORP./FOX INC -[Contribution]KENNEDY FOR SENATE 2000
But if you search "Murdoch" at the site Petrelis uses, the following results also turn up:

MURDOCH, K. R MR.12/30/2003 $5,000.00New York, NY 10036News Corporation/Chairman & C.e.o. -[Contribution]NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE

Murdoch, K. Rupert12/4/2003 $5,000.00New York, NY 10036News Corporation/Chairman & CEO -[Contribution]NEWS AMERICA HOLDINGS INC-FOX POL ACTION COMMITTEE (AKA NEWS AMERICA-FOX POL ACTION CMTE

MURDOCH, K.R.5/29/2003 $2,000.00WASHINGTON, DC 20001NEWS CORPORATION/EXECUTIVE -[Contribution]BILL THOMAS CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

Murdoch, Keith Rupert Mr.6/27/2003 $2,000.00New York, NY 10036News Corporation/Chairman & C.E.O. -[Contribution]BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC

Murdoch, Lachlan Mr.6/27/2003 $2,000.00New York, NY 10036News Corporation/Executive -[Contribution]BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC

MURDOCH, RUPERT2/25/2004 $2,000.00LOS ANGELES, CA 90035NEWS CORP -[Contribution]JACK RYAN FOR US SENATE

MURDOCH, RUPERT2/24/2004 $2,000.00LOS ANGELES, CA 90035NEWS CORPORATION -[Contribution]BILL JONES FOR U S SENATE

MURDOCH, RUPERT12/15/2003 $2,000.00NEW YORK, NY 10036NEWS AMERICA -[Contribution]CITIZENS FOR ARLEN SPECTER

MURDOCH, RUPERT3/18/2003 $2,000.00NEW YORK, NY 10036NEWS CORP -[Contribution]MCCAIN FOR SENATE '04

Murdoch, Rupert Mr.4/21/2004 $25,000.00New York, NY 10036Fox Entertainment Group Inc./Chairm -[Contribution]REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE

MURDOCH, WENDI2/25/2004 $2,000.00LOS ANGELES, CA 90035HOMEMAKER -[Contribution]JACK RYAN FOR US SENATE

MURDOCH, WENDI2/24/2004 $2,000.00LOS ANGELES, CA 90035HOMEMAKER -[Contribution]BILL JONES FOR U S SENATE

MURDOCH, WENDI5/29/2003 $2,000.00WASHINGTON, DC 20001NEWS CORPORATION/EXECUTIVE -[Contribution]BILL THOMAS CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

Murdoch, Wendi Mrs.6/27/2003 $2,000.00New York, NY 10036Homemaker -[Contribution]BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC

Oh, I'm so confused. What can it mean?

Seems ol' K-Rupe isn't quite the flaming liberal Kaus thinks he is.

And if you search 2000, you'll see Rupe spending his Presidential dollars on McCain and Whorin' Hatch, and more dollars on Lazio, Robb, Santorum, Snowe and the RNC (as well as Kennedy and Bill Bradley).

Not quite the big bedwetting scoop that Kaus hoped for.

Hack.

posted by Roger | Comments (6) | 9:30 PM

David Remnick
The New Yorker Magazine
New York, NY

Dear Mr. Remnick:

In light of newly discovered records at the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, which show Hendrik Hertzberg donated money, four-hundred dollars to be precise, to Robert Reich's campaign for governor, I have some questions for you.

1. Exactly how many donations has Hertzberg made in the past six years, either at the federal, state or local level?

2. What is the number of donations from all New Yorker editorial staff to politicians, in the same period and at any election level?

3. Precisely what does the New Yorker's policy on political donations state?

4. Considering that five New Yorker writers have donated to campaigns, and you've not seen fit to inform readers of the giving, exactly how many writers have to much donations before such information is disclosed in the pages of the magazine?

5. When will the New Yorker tell readers about the donations, the amounts and to whom, and the publication's political giving policy?

Here is the file on Hertzberg's political contributions to Reich:

08/13/2002 Hertzberg, Hendrik 211 West 106th St., Apt. 10A New York, NY 10025 $50.00 Journalist The New Yorker Magazine Reich, Robert

04/02/2002 Hertzberg, Hendrik 211 West 106th St., Apt. 10A New York, NY 10025 $100.00 Journalist The New Yorker Magazine Reich, Robert

01/12/2002 Hertzberg, Hendrik 221 West 106th St., Apt. 10A New York, NY 10025 $250.00 Journalist The New Yorker Magazine Reich, Robert

(Source: MA government site)

I ask for a prompt reply.

Regards,
Michael Petrelis
San Francisco, CA

These are two items I found on the web today about my research into political donations by reporters and editors to Sen. John Kerry.

July 22, 2004
Boston Globe
Party follows mane event; journalists leave paper trail
By Carol Beggy & Mark Shanahan
[snip]

WRITERS PAC

The latest issue of The New Yorker includes a mostly flattering piece on John Kerry.

But then that's no surprise, says Michael Petrelis. A Ralph Nader-boosting blogger, Petrelis has put together a list of journos who've given to one or another of the presidential candidates, and his findings are enlightening.

"The least we can expect from media is full disclosure about their policies on contributions, and informing when donations are made," said Petrelis.

In the case of The New Yorker, not only did senior editor Hendrik Hertzberg give to the Kerry campaign ($900), but so did many of the magazine's other marquee writers, including Tad Friend ($500), John Lahr ($500), Michael Shnayerson ($2,000), Roger Angell ($500), and David Denby ($1,250). (Philip Gourevitch, who wrote the Kerry piece, does not show up as a contributor.)

New Yorker spokeswoman Perri Dorset said yesterday the magazine prohibits reporters from contributing to the political campaigns they're covering.

Among local media, Chris Donnelly, a librarian at the Boston Herald, gave $3,200 to Kerry and various Democratic causes.

And, despite the newspaper's policy prohibiting staffers from contributing directly to political candidates, Boston Globe sports statistician Henry Riemer gave $1,700 to Howard Dean's campaign.

[snip]

--

July 22, 2004
The Washington Times
Inside Politics
by Greg Pierce

[snip]

Political press

The San Francisco Chronicle has suspended the editor of its letters to the editor page after it was discovered that William G. Pates had given political donations to the presidential campaign of Sen. John Kerry, as well as the campaigns of three local Democratic candidates.

Mr. Pates was put on paid leave last week. The Chronicle has a policy of prohibiting journalists from giving money to campaigns without consulting top editors, reports Grade the News, a journalism-watchdog publication at Stanford University. "The Chronicle policy is very clear that this would be out of bounds," said John Diaz, editorial-page editor of the Chronicle.

Political contributions by journalists have been highlighted in recent weeks by San Francisco AIDS activist Michael Petrelis, who runs his blog (http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com). Angered after the New York Times fired a freelancer because of the writer's previous AIDS activism, Mr. Petrelis began a campaign to expose political activism by other journalists.

Mr. Petrelis has discovered, for example, that Richard Braham of ABC News gave $1,500 to Democrat Howard Dean's presidential campaign, and that CNN commentator Bill Press gave $1,000 to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.

Forwarded Message:
Subj: Pt. 2 - FEC files, Kerry, reporters
Date: 7/15/2004 7:23:36 PM Central Daylight Time


July 15, 2004

[Part 1 of 2]

American reporters are supposed to be impartial and nonpartisan, above the fray of politics and campaigns.
[snip]

Pates, William G Mr.
3/25/2004 $200.00
San Francisco, CA 94133
San Francisco Chronicle/Editor -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

[snip]

--


Political gifts earn Bay Area journalists praise, punishment
Chronicle puts letters editor on leave for nearly $1,000 in contributions

By Michael Stoll
Grade the News
Posted July 20, 2004

In some Bay Area newsrooms, a journalist who writes a check for a political candidate may get a pat on the back for being an active citizen. In others, the journalist may be reprimanded for creating a perception that the news is biased.

The San Francisco Chronicle put its letters editor on paid leave last week after Grade the News inquired about his political contributions to candidates for local and national offices. Responding to a similar inquiry, the news director at KGO-TV Channel 7 said journalists have an absolute right to express themselves politically, including financially supporting the candidates and causes of their choice.

[snip]

Chronicle editor put on leave

Federal and city records show that the Chronicle's letters editor, William G. Pates, gave $200 to John Kerry's presidential campaign on two separate occasions this year, and has donated hundreds more to three local Democrats as far back as 2000, for a total of nearly $1,000. The Chronicle has a policy prohibiting journalists from giving money to campaigns without consulting top editors.

John Diaz, the paper's editorial page editor, said Mr. Pates had never informed him of his political activity, which Mr. Diaz said if true would create the appearance of a conflict of interest -- an opinion gatekeeper with demonstrated partisan allegiances. That, he said, would compromise the paper's credibility with its readers. "The Chronicle policy is very clear that this would be out of bounds," Mr. Diaz said.

[snip]

Support Petrelis Files With A Donation Through PayPal!

[Speaking of donations, I cheerfully accept them, even though I am not a political candidate. To support my various research efforts and blog, please send a check to Michael Petrelis, 2215-R Market Street, #413, San Francisco, CA 94114. Donations are not deductible, but you'll get tons of good karma in return! And for those who use PayPal, I've just set up an account there and should be able to receive donations that way by the end of the week.]

July 20, 2004

After researching Federal Election Commission records on the New York Times editorial staff and owners, then the files on print media people, I thought there was no reason to stop, so I performed another search on tray.com, but this time for television and radio personalities.

I looked at files from only the 2000, 2002, and 2004 election cycles. The Yellow Book, or Media Guide, publish by Leadership Directories, provided the list of TV and radio outlets to survey. This was the book I used for my informal survey of print reporters and editors.

Employees and executives of the following outlets had donations listed at tray.com: ABC News, CBS News, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, NBC News, National Public Radio, the Public Broadcasting Service, and the Voice of America.

These are the highlights of my latest unscientific survey:

- Democratic candidates and the Democratic National Committee were the top recipients.

- Surprisingly, Voice of America beat out Fox News in ranking for most generous donations to George W. Bush.

- All of the contributions from NPR reporters and staff were to Democrats or the DNC; $2,000 for John Kerry, $1,038 for Howard Dean, and $250 for the DNC.

- Listings for PBS were evenly split; $2,000 for Bush/Cheney and the same amount for John Kerry.

- The Kennedy clan sticks together; Maria Shriver of NBC News and her cousin Douglas Kennedy of Fox News, contributed exclusively to family members.

- Couldn't find a single donation to Ralph Nader.

- One producer from Fox News gave to Howard Dean.

- Found one donation to Al Gore, from a VoA employee.

And, without further ado or commentary, these are the results of my search efforts:

ABC News

Braham, Richard
8/26/2003 $250.00
Rosedale, NY 11422
ABC News/Journalist -[Contribution]
DEAN FOR AMERICA

Braham, Richard
9/30/2003 $250.00
Rosedale, NY 11422
ABC News/Journalist -[Contribution]
DEAN FOR AMERICA

Braham, Richard
12/5/2003 $1,000.00
Rosedale, NY 11422
ABC News/Journalist -[Contribution]
DEAN FOR AMERICA

Bentson, Clark
5/30/2002 $250.00
Ocean Shores, WA 98569
ABC News/Producer -[Contribution]
CARDEN FOR CONGRESS

Braun, Lloyd
8/27/2001 $1,000.00
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
ABC News/President -[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF RAHM EMANUEL

Makasdjian, Roxanne
9/17/2002 $250.00
San Fransisco, CA 94114
ABC News/TV News -[Contribution]
BARBARA LEE FOR CONGRESS

MAKASDJIAN, ROXANNE
5/2/2001 $1,000.00
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114
ABC NEWS/REPORTER -[Contribution]
WOOLSEY FOR CONGRESS

ADLERSBERG, JAY B
9/16/1999 $250.00
NEW YORK, NY 10021
ABC NEWS -[Contribution]
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

FLOYD, JAMI
9/30/2000 $500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10023
ABC NEWS -[Contribution]
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

MAKASDJIAN, ROXANNE
10/16/1999 $1,000.00
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114
ABC NEWS -[Contribution]

WOOLSEY FOR CONGRESS

--

CBS News

SCHNEIDER, FREDERICK M
3/11/2004 $1,500.00
WASHINGTON, DC 20005
CBS NEWS -[Contribution]
TOM FORMICOLA FOR SENATE COMMITTEE

BAKER RIKER, MARGERY
12/12/2001 $500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10021
CBS NEWS PRODUCTION -[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF SCHUMER

KOONTZ, ANDREW
6/5/2002 $250.00
PRINCETON, NJ 08542
CBS NEWS -[Contribution]
TORRICELLI FOR U S SENATE INC

BINNS, LISA M
7/22/1999 $250.00
FLUSHING, NY 11366
CBS NEWS -[Contribution]
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Garfinkle, David Mr.
7/6/1999 $250.00
Little Falls, NJ 07424
CBS News 60 Minutes -[Contribution]
BILL BRADLEY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Garfinkle, David Mr.
7/31/1999 $250.00
Little Falls, NJ 07424
CBS News 60 Minutes -[Contribution]
BILL BRADLEY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Garfinkle, David Mr.
11/10/1999 $200.00
Little Falls, NJ 07424
CBS News 60 Minutes/Film & TV Produ -[Contribution]
BILL BRADLEY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Garfinkle, David Mr.
12/7/1999 $300.00
Little Falls, NJ 07424
CBS News 60 Minutes/Film & TV Produ -[Contribution]
BILL BRADLEY FOR PRESIDENT INC

GORDON, VICTORIA
4/19/2000 $250.00
NEW YORK, NY 10023
CBS NEWS -[Contribution]
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON FOR US SENATE COMMITTEE INC

KARAS, LINDA
10/19/1999 $250.00
NEW YORK, NY 10019
CBS NEWS -[Contribution]
EMILY'S LIST

KOONTZ, ANDREW
4/6/2000 $250.00
PRINCETON, NJ 08640
CBS NEWS PRODUCTIONS INC -[Contribution]
GUSCIORA FOR CONGRESS 2000

KOONTZ, ANDREW
9/30/2000 $500.00
PRINCETON, NJ 08542
CBS NEWS PRODUCTIONS -[Contribution]
GUSCIORA FOR CONGRESS 2000

ROBERTS, TROY
6/19/2000 $1,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10011
CBS NEWS -[Contribution]
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON FOR US SENATE COMMITTEE INC

SENAY, EMILY
9/22/1999 $1,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10023
CBS NEWS -[Contribution]
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON FOR US SENATE COMMITTEE INC

--

CNBC

Gardner, Colin Mr
4/16/2004 $202.00
New York, NY 10028
Cnbc/Writer -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Kramer, Hilary J
3/4/2004 $1,000.00
New York, NY 10023
CNBC/Executive -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Simmons, Jane
3/31/2003 $1,000.00
Washington, DC 20016
CNBC/Segment Producer -[Contribution]
SIMMONS FOR CONGRESS

Kudlow, Lawrence A
4/3/2002 $1,000.00
Redding Ridge, CT 06876
CNBC/economist/TV host -[Contribution]
ROY BROWN FOR CONGRESS

BOLSTER, WILLIAM
4/24/2000 $1,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10021
CNBC -[Contribution]
LARRY GRAHAM FOR CONGRESS

Bolster, William L. Mr.
9/30/1999 $1,000.00
New York, NY 10021
CNBC -[Contribution]
MCCAIN 2000 INC

MAITRA, TARA
6/29/1999 $1,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10028
CNBC -[Contribution]
WHITMAN FOR US SENATE

MAITRA, TARA
6/29/1999 $1,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10028
CNBC -[Contribution]
WHITMAN FOR US SENATE

MEYERS, ROBERT
3/31/2000 $250.00
NEW YORK, NY 10024
CNBC COM -[Contribution]
LARRY GRAHAM FOR CONGRESS

THOMAS-GRAHAM, PAMELA
12/23/1999 $1,000.00
CHAPPAQUA, NY 10514
CNBC.COM -[Contribution]
LARRY GRAHAM FOR CONGRESS

THOMAS-GRAHAM, PAMELA
12/23/1999 $1,000.00
CHAPPAQUA, NY 10514
CNBC.COM -[Contribution]
LARRY GRAHAM FOR CONGRESS

--

CNN

Begala, Paul
6/24/2003 $1,000.00
McLean, VA 22101
CNN/television host -[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF JON JENNINGS COMMITTEE

Young, Jonathan
2/5/2004 $250.00
Atlanta, GA 30308
CNN America/Technology Executive -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Young, Jonathan
3/16/2004 $250.00
Atlanta, GA 30308
CNN America/Technology Executive -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Ashe Jr., Charles
8/9/2002 $400.00
,
CNN/Media Coordinator -[Contribution]
CYNTHIA MCKINNEY FOR CONGRESS

Begala, Paul E
6/29/2002 $1,000.00
McLean, VA 22101
CNN/TV Host -[Contribution]
WOFFORD FOR CONGRESS

Press, Bill
11/1/2001 $1,000.00
Washington, DC 20003
CNN/Journalist -[Contribution]
GAY AND LESBIAN VICTORY FUND

Suber, Julius L.
12/31/2001 $250.00
Atlanta, GA 30306
CNN Productions/Executive Producer -[Contribution]
DAVID SCOTT FOR CONGRESS

Tanonaka Dalton
2/22/2002 $1,000.00
Honolulu, HI 96825
CNN- Asia/Business Consultant -[Contribution]
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF HAWAII; THE

Hughey, Lee
3/8/2004 $250.00
Chamblee, GA 30341
Cable News Network/Video Editor -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Marcosky, JeffA. Mr.
7/19/2001 $250.00
Morrow, GA 30260
Cable News Network/Audio/Robo Camer -[Contribution]
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Marcosky, JeffA. Mr.
9/27/2001 $200.00
Morrow, GA 30260
Cable News Network/Audio/Robo Camer -[Contribution]
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE

MITCHELL, PAT
3/30/1999 $1,000.00
ATLANTA, GA 30324
CNN PRODUCTIONS -[Contribution]
MMM FOR SENATE (MARJORIE MARGOLIES-MEZVINSKY)

--

Fox News

Burkholder, Amy
7/22/2003 $250.00
New York, NY 10021
Fox News Channel/SR Producer -[Contribution]
DEAN FOR AMERICA

Feldman, Suzanne Mrs.
6/26/2003 $2,000.00
Santa Monica, CA 90402
Fox News Channel/Sales Executive -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC

Jack, Mary Ms.
4/2/2004 $250.00
Venice, CA 90291
Fox News/Advertising Sales -[Contribution]
EMILY'S LIST

Jenkins, Griffin Mr.
6/30/2003 $2,000.00
Washington, DC 20007
Fox News/Producer -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC

Rodriguez, Amanda Ms.
3/5/2004 $2,000.00
Eagle Pass, TX 78853
Fox News/Office Manager -[Contribution]
TEXANS FOR HENRY CUELLAR CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN

SOLIVAN, BERT A
7/21/2003 $240.00
GUTTENBERG, NJ 07093
FOX NEWS CHANNEL -[Contribution]
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE

SOLIVAN, BERT A
11/18/2003 $240.00
GUTTENBERG, NJ 07093
FOX NEWS CHANNEL -[Contribution]
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE

Cavuto, Neil P. Mr.
6/3/2002 $1,000.00
Chester, NJ 07930
Fox News/T. V. Anchor -[Contribution]
2002 PRESIDENT'S DINNER COMMITTEE; THE

Chernin, Peter
4/12/2002 $3,314.00
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Fox News Corporation/President & CO -[Contribution]
FUND FOR A BETTER FUTURE

COLGAN, FLAVIA M
7/22/2002 $500.00
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103
FOX NEWS CHANNEL -[Contribution]
EDWARDS FOR SENATE

COLGAN, FLAVIA M.
2/4/2002 $500.00
Wynnewood, PA 19096
FOX NEWS/REPORTER -[Contribution]
BOB BRADY FOR CONGRESS

Colgan, Flavia M.
11/5/2002 $200.00
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Fox News/reporter -[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF CONGRESSMAN TIM HOLDEN

Kennedy, Douglas
8/6/2002 $1,000.00
New York, NY 10023
Fox News/Reporter -[Contribution]
CITIZENS FOR MARK SHRIVER

Kennedy, Douglas
8/6/2002 $1,000.00
New York, NY 10023
Fox News/Reporter -[Contribution]
CITIZENS FOR MARK SHRIVER

SIMON, DANIEL
2/25/2002 $1,000.00
SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85258
FOX NEWS/REPORTER -[Contribution]
JIM SIMON FOR CONGRESS

SIMON, DANIEL
3/28/2002 $1,000.00
SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85258
FOX NEWS/REPORTER -[Contribution]
JIM SIMON FOR CONGRESS

--

MSNBC

Colgan, Flavia
12/30/2003 $2,000.00
Philadelphia, PA 19103
MSNBC/Political Analyst -[Contribution]
JOE TORSELLA FOR CONGRESS

Colgan, Flavia
12/30/2003 $1,700.00
Philadelphia, PA 19103
MSNBC/Political Analyst -[Contribution]
JOE TORSELLA FOR CONGRESS

Paris, Maria A
12/17/2003 $250.00
New York, NY 10024
MSNBC/Director of Business Developm -[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF PATRICK J KENNEDY INC

--

NBC News

Walder, Alyson
6/30/2003 $1,000.00
New York, NY 10019
NBC News/Production Manager -[Contribution]
PETER HORT FOR CONGRESS

Shriver, Maria
4/14/2001 $1,000.00
Santa Monica, CA 90405
NBC News/News Correspondent -[Contribution]
CITIZENS FOR MARK SHRIVER

Shriver, Maria
11/13/2001 $1,000.00
Santa Monica, CA 90405
NBC News/News Correspondent -[Contribution]
CITIZENS FOR MARK SHRIVER

Shriver, Maria
11/4/2002 -$1,000.00
Santa Monica, CA 90405
-[contribution refunded to individual]
CITIZENS FOR MARK SHRIVER

Shriver, Maria
3/1/2002 $1,000.00
Santa Monica, CA 90405
NBC/Broadcast Journalist -[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF PATRICK J KENNEDY INC

Myers, Barry
3/31/2002 $1,000.00
Mobile, AL 36609
NBC News Mobile/Assignment Manager -[Contribution]
CHRIS PRINGLE FOR CONGRESS

FULTON, LIZ
8/29/2000 $250.00
RIDGEFIELD, CT 06877
NBC NEWS -[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF JIM MALONEY INC

Kemp, Ann Ms.
3/16/1999 $1,000.00
New York, NY 10023
NBC News/Network News Producer -[Contribution]
BILL BRADLEY FOR PRESIDENT INC

PFIZER, BERYL
3/7/2000 $300.00
NEW YORK, NY 10021
NBC NEWS -[Contribution]

WOMEN'S CAMPAIGN FUND INC

--

NPR

Abid, Rod
3/5/2004 $250.00
Chicago, IL 60657
National Public Radio/Radio Produce -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Abid, Rod
4/5/2004 $250.00
Chicago, IL 60657
National Public Radio/Radio Produce -[Contribution]
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Andrews, Jan
3/31/2004 $250.00
Alexandria, VA 22312
National Public Radio/Audio Enginee -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Andrews, Jan
3/31/2004 $250.00
Alexandria, VA 22312
National Public Radio/Audio Enginee -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Andrews, Jan
5/24/2004 $500.00
Alexandria, VA 22312
National Public Radio/Audio Enginee -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Danforth, Michael
3/9/2004 $250.00
Chicago, IL 60615
National Public Radio/Producer -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Flintoff, Corey
12/9/2003 $538.00
Cheverly, MD 20785
National Public Radio/Newscaster -[Contribution]
DEAN FOR AMERICA

Trudeau, Michelle
5/19/2004 $500.00
Irvine, CA 92612
NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO/reporter -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Trudeau, Michelle
9/4/2003 $250.00
Irvine, CA 92612
NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO/REPORTER -[Contribution]
DEAN FOR AMERICA

Trudeau, Michelle
9/30/2003 $250.00
Irvine, CA 92612
NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO/REPORTER -[Contribution]
DEAN FOR AMERICA

--

PBS

FLAHIVE, ELLEN MS.
5/7/2004 $2,000.00
NEW YORK, NY 10163
PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE/SPONSOR -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC

Tam, William
3/22/2004 $2,000.00
Alexandria, VA 22304
Public Broadcasting Service/Compute -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

--

Voice of America

Aiello, Joseph Mr.
12/10/2003 $300.00
New Paltz, NY 12561
Voice Of America/Broadcast Engineer -[Contribution]
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

BAIRD, ANDREW C MR.
5/25/2004 $300.00
ARLINGTON, VA 22207
VOICE OF AMERICA/COUNSELOR -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC

EDEL, AL
9/22/2003 $250.00
SAINT GEORGE, UT 84790
VOICE OF AMERICA -[Contribution]
A LOT OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING TOM DASCHLE INC

George, Simkins
3/24/2004 $500.00
Washington, DC 20009
Voice Of America/Journalist -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

James, Larry
4/22/2004 $2,000.00
Miami, FL 33166
Voice Of America/Journalist -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Sale, Kenneth E
12/31/2003 $1,000.00
Washington, DC 20016
Voice of America -[Contribution]
VAN HOLLEN FOR CONGRESS

BARTLEY, PAUL S
12/6/2002 $250.00
BALTIMORE, MD 21224
VOICE OF AMERICA -[Contribution]
TERRELL FOR SENATE

Gollust, David A.
3/14/2002 $250.00
Bethesda, MD 20817
Voice of America/Correspondent -[Contribution]
IRA SHAPIRO FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE

Sale, Kenneth E.
8/7/2002 $900.00
Bethesda, MD 20816
Voice of America -[Contribution]
VAN HOLLEN FOR CONGRESS

Salkoski, Ione
6/24/2002 $950.00
Washington, DC 20008
Voice of America/Telecommunications -[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF CONNIE MORELLA FOR CONGRESS

Reilly, Robert R. Mr.
6/21/2000 $1,000.00
Vienna, VA 22180
Voice of America/Writer -[Contribution]
BUSH FOR PRESIDENT INC

SALKOSKI, IONE
6/30/1999 $1,000.00
WASHINGTON, DC 20008
VOICE OF AMERICA -[Contribution]
BUSH FOR PRESIDENT INC

THOMPSON, BETTY J
6/24/1999 $1,000.00
KINGSTOWNE, VA 22315
VOICE OF AMERICA -[Contribution]
BUSH FOR PRESIDENT INC

Unger, Sandford J. Mr.
5/30/2000 $500.00
Washington, DC 20015
Voice of America/Federal employee -[Contribution]
GORE 2000 INC

<>July 20, 2004<>

The Washington Times

Inside Politics

by Greg Pierce

[snip]

Media favorite

Dozens of reporters, editors, publishers and executives for U.S. newspapers and magazines have donated to John Kerry's presidential campaign, according to blogger Michael Petrelis.

Mr. Petrelis, after perusing Federal Election Commission files on Political Moneyline at www.tray.com last week, originally thought that not a single member of the print media had made a contribution to the Bush campaign. He later discovered that news baron Rupert Murdoch had given $2,000 to President Bush, which matched the contribution he made to the Kerry Senate re-election campaign in 2001.

"After researching Federal Election Commission records for New York Times editorial staff back in the spring, I discovered the paper's reporters had donated a healthy sum of money to candidates, primarily Democrats, over the years," Mr. Petrelis writes on his blog the Petrelis Files (www.mpetrelis.blogspot.com).

"Some of the New York Times reporters' donations were made after the paper instituted a policy prohibiting such contributions, while the bulk of the donations were made prior to the ban. (You can find these donations elsewhere on my blog.)"

Last week, Mr. Petrelis did another search, concentrating on more than 50 newspapers, magazines, wire services and names of publishers.

"Wish I could say I was surprised at how many media people have donated to Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic National Committee or Democratic candidates, but I can't," he said. "In no particular order of importance, here are the highlights of what I found, in my unscientific survey:

•"Rupert Murdoch donated $2,000 to Kerry's senatorial campaign in 2001; and he gave Sen. Ted Kennedy $1,000 in 1999.

•"New Yorker senior editor Hendrik Hertzberg gave Kerry's presidential campaign $900, a fact I don't think he has disclosed in the magazine.

•"Martin Peretz, editor in chief of The New Republic, donated $2,000 to Kerry in February.

•"Former Vermont governor Howard Dean was the second-top recipient of reporters' dollars.

•"The one donation from a Wall Street Journal writer this year, Henny Sender, was for $300 for Kerry.

•"Ralph Nader received only $1,200 from one person; Helga Halaki of Time magazine's editorial side."

[snip]

David Remnick

David_Remnick@newyorker.com
Editor
The New Yorker

Dear Mr. Remnick:

One
of your political writers, Hendrik Hertzberg, has donated $900 to Sen.
John Kerry's campaign for president, according to Federal Election
Commission records.

These listings are from the tray.com web site:

Hertzberg Hendrik

4/13/2004
$500.00
New York, NY 10036
The New Yorker/Journalist -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY
FOR PRESIDENT INC

Hertzberg, Hendrik Mr.
5/27/2004
$400.00
New York, NY 10025
the New Yorker magazine/Senior Edit -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY
FOR PRESIDENT INC

As an American, Hertzberg is, of course, allowed to donate to any candidate he so chooses.

However,
as a journalist, he should fully disclose, when writing about Kerry,
that he has contributed funds to his White House bid, something
Hertzberg has failed to do in the New Yorker.

In
Hertzberg's June 7 "New-Time Religion" Talk of the Town piece about
religion in this year's presidential race, he wrote, "John Forbes
Kerry, who also attends Sunday Mass, has been similarly reticent

about the intimate details of his spiritual beliefs. Nevertheless,
Kerry’sbiography contains hints that his Catholicism is somewhat more
devout than was that of his political hero and role model. Kerry was an
altar
boy, and as a youth he considered the seminary and a career
in the priesthood. There is no evidence that any such thoughts ever
crossed the mind of the first J.F.K. Yet, because Kerry opposes the
recriminalization of abortion and supports stem-cell research to find
treatments for such diseases as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, a bevy of
bishops have all but called for his defeat."

Further, Hertzberg referenced a speech about a 1960 speech by John F. Kennedy, in which he said, "I

believe in an America where the separation of church and state is
absolute—where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he
be a Catholic) how to act and no Protestant minister would tell his
parishioners for whom to vote—where no church or church school is
granted any public funds or political preference."

Hertzberg closes his piece with these words. "With a bit of spiffing up
for gender-pronoun correctness, it is just barely possible to imagine
such a speech being delivered today by Senator Kerry. Could the same be said of President Bush?"

I think your writer showed clear bias in favor of Kerry, without revealing his donations to his presidential campaign.

If
your magazine believes in fair journalistic practices and ethics, then
the New Yorker should inform readers of Hertzberg's financial support of Kerry in its pages.

Sincerely,
Michael Petrelis
San Francisco, CA

Source:

The New Yorker

Oops, I made a mistake. I somehow overlooked a donation from Rupert
Murdoch to the Bush/Cheney re-election campaign. Murdoch donated
$2,000 to their campaign.

Here's proof of the donation, which is from tray.com.

Murdoch, Keith Rupert Mr.
6/27/2003 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10036
News Corporation/Chairman & C.E.O. -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC

http://slate.msn.com/id/2103783/

Why Ehrenreich Ends in Reich
Plus--kf's pathetic candidate.
By Mickey Kaus
Updated Friday, July 16, 2004, at 3:33 AM PT

[snip]

Petrelis Files has an interesting list of journalists who've contributed to political candidates. ... Jann Wenner gave $2,000 to Al Sharpton! ... David Talbot of Salon is only down for $500 to Dean. Cheapskate. ... Manohla Dargis, new NYT movie critic, gave Dean just as much. But Vanity Fair's Elise O'Shaughnessy maxed out! ... And Rupert Murdoch maxed out ... for Kerry. That must be how he got that big Gephardt scoop! ... P.S.: Also, Petrelis says

President George Bush didn't receive a single donation from any outlet or reporter in my search.

P.S.: I gave to Kerry at least partly in the hope that I'd be attacked for this gross violation of journalistic ethics. No such luck. ... Yoo hoo, Poynter people. Over here. ... 3:09 A.M.

[snip]

American reporters are supposed to be impartial and nonpartisan, above the

fray of politics and campaigns.

After researching Federal Election Commission records for New York Times

editorial staff back in the spring, I discovered the paper's reporters had

donated a healthy sum of money to candidates, primarily Democrats, over the

years. Some of the New York Times reporters' donations were made after the paper

instituted a policy prohibiting such contributions, while the bulk of the

donations were made prior to the ban. (You can find these donations elsewhere on

my blog.)

Today I went back to the best web site for searching FEC files, http://www.tray.com/,

and pored over recent donations by journalists, reporters, publishers and

others who work at print media outlets.

I limited my searching to the two most recent election cycles, except for

Time and Newsweek, and Rupert Murdoch, because of the influence each

wields.

More than fifty newspapers, magazines, wire services, and names of

publishers, were searched.

Wish I could say I was surprised at how many media people have donated to

Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic National Committee, or Democratic candidates,

but I can't.

I'm don't know if any of these publications or news services have policies

barring political contributions, and if they do, then journalistic ethics are

being violated. If publications lack such prohibitions, now might be a good time

for the outlets to consider implementing such a policy.

In no particular order of importance, here are the highlights of what I

found, in my unscientific survey:

- Rupert Murdoch donated $2,000 to Kerry's Senatorial campaign in 2001;

and he gave Sen. Ted Kennedy $1,000 in 1999.

- New Yorker senior editor Hendrik Hertzberg, gave Kerry's presidential

campaign $900, a fact I don't think he has disclosed in the magazine.

- Martin Peretz, editor in chief of The New Republic, donated $2,000 to

Kerry in February.

- Former Vermont governor Howard Dean was the second-top recipient of

reporters' dollars.

- President George Bush didn't receive a single donation from any outlet or

reporter in my search.

- The one donation from a Wall Street Journal writer this year, Henny

Sender, was for $300 for Kerry.

- Ralph Nader received only $1,200 from one person; Helga Halaki of Time

magazine's editorial side.

In an ideal world, reporters would refrain from donating to politicians and

campaigns, but until that world is created, the least we can expect from media

people is full disclosure about their policies on contributions, and informing

readers when donations are made.

For myself, I'm disclosing again my support for Nader and that I made a $10

contribution to his campaign in the spring.

Now, here are the search results of my informal survey. The list is broken

down by alphabetically by media outlet.

^^^

A-B-C-D

Katz, Alex

4/26/2004

$250.00

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Ang Newspapers/Journalist

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Chambers, Anne C

6/2/2003

$2,000.00

Atlanta, GA 30305

Atlanta Journal Constitution/Chairm

-[Contribution]

BOB GRAHAM FOR PRESIDENT INC

Chambers, Anne Cox

2/6/2003

$2,000.00

Atlanta, GA 30346

Atlanta Journal Constitution/Chairw

-[Contribution]

GEPHARDT FOR PRESIDENT INC.

ADAMS, MADELYN

1/22/2002

$1,000.00

ATLANTA, GA 30306

ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION

-[Contribution]

FRIENDS OF MAX CLELAND FOR THE US SENATE

INC

Adams, Madelyn R Ms

4/19/2004

$2,000.00

Atlanta, GA 30306

The Atlanta Journal Constitution/Ex

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Marudas, Georgia

3/31/2003

$1,000.00

Baltimore, MD 21218

The Baltimore Sun/Newspaper Editor

-[Contribution]

GEPHARDT FOR PRESIDENT INC.

Scholz, John J Mr.

3/17/2004

$250.00

Baltimore, MD 21215

The Baltimore Sun/Copy Editor

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

COMMITTEE

Burton, Katherine

3/22/2004

$250.00

New York, NY 10023

Bloomberg Lp/Journalist

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Fellman, Joshua

3/3/2004

$500.00

,

Bloomberg L.P./Editor -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Fellman, Joshua

12/30/2003

$200.00

Mid-Levels,

Bloomberg L.P./Journalist

-[Contribution]

DEAN FOR AMERICA

Houck, Robert R

3/25/2003

$250.00

Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Bloomberg L.P/News Editor

-[Contribution]

DEAN FOR AMERICA

Houck, Robert R

9/30/2003

$250.00

Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Bloomberg L.P/News Editor

-[Contribution]

DEAN FOR AMERICA

Houck, Robert R

1/8/2004

$250.00

Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Bloomberg L.P/Journalist

-[Contribution]

DEAN FOR AMERICA

Houck, Robert R

12/5/2003

$210.00

Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Bloomberg L.P/Journalist

-[Contribution]

DEAN FOR AMERICA

Kapadia,

Milanee

5/31/2004 $1,000.00

New York, NY 10023

Bloomberg

L.P./Journalist -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

TORRES, CARLOS

9/23/2003

$250.00

WASHINGTON, DC 20009

BLOOMBERG NEWS -[Contribution]

DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

Urban, Robert

11/12/2003

$250.00

New York, NY 10021

Bloomberg LP/Journalist

-[Contribution]

DEAN FOR AMERICA

Wydra, John Mr.

10/15/2003

$200.00

Princeton Junction, NJ 08550

Bloomberg L P/Broadcast Commentator

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

COMMITTEE

Wydra, John Mr.

7/23/2003 $200.00

Princeton

Junction, NJ 08550

Bloomberg L P/Broadcast Commentator

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

COMMITTEE

Donnelly, Christopher

3/8/2004

$250.00

Boston, MA 02118

Boston herald/Librarian

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Donnelly, Christopher

3/17/2004

$500.00

Boston, MA 02118

Boston herald/Librarian

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Donnelly, Christopher

3/25/2004

$500.00

Boston, MA 02118

Boston herald/Librarian

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Donnelly, Christopher

5/18/2004

$250.00

Boston, MA 02118

Boston herald/Librarian

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Donnelly, Christopher

4/15/2004

$200.00

Boston, MA 02118

Boston Herald/Librarian

-[Contribution]

DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN

COMMITTEE

Donnelly, Christopher J Mr.

11/18/2003

$400.00

Boston, MA 02118

Boston Herald/librarian

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

COMMITTEE

Donnelly, Christopher J Mr.

11/19/2003

$300.00

Boston, MA 02118

Boston Herald/librarian

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

COMMITTEE

Donnelly, Christopher J Mr.

2/25/2004

$600.00

Boston, MA 02118

Boston Herald/librarian

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

COMMITTEE

Donnelly, Christopher J Mr.

3/30/2004

$200.00

Boston, MA 02118

Boston Herald/librarian

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

COMMITTEE

Donnelly, Christopher J Mr.

2/2/2004

$400.00

Boston, MA 02118

Boston Herald/librarian

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

COMMITTEE

Crowther, Prudence

4/19/2004

$200.00

New York, NY 10014

Business Week/Editor

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Spiro, Leah Nathans

3/14/2003

$250.00

New York, NY 10019

Business Week/Associate Editor

-[Contribution]

WOMEN'S CAMPAIGN FUND

DOWDLE, JAMES C

9/22/2003

$2,000.00

WILMETTE, IL 60091

CHICAGO TRIBUNE -[Contribution]

MCKENNA FOR SENATE

DOWDLE, JAMES C

1/26/2004

$2,000.00

WILMETTE, IL 60091

CHICAGO TRIBUNE -[Contribution]

MCKENNA FOR SENATE

Elsner, David M.

6/30/2003

$250.00

Crete, IL 60417

Chicago Tribune Co./newspaperman

-[Contribution]

KUCINICH FOR PRESIDENT INC.

MACKOVICH, SUSAN

5/6/2003

$350.00

WILMETTE, IL 60091

CHICAGO TRIBUNE MEDIA

-[Contribution]

FINGERHUT FOR US SENATE

Wagner, Carl

5/5/2004

$250.00

Westchester, IL 60154

Chicago Tribune/Photographer

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Berlin, Jennifer

2/4/2004 $1,000.00

New York, NY 10021

Conde Nast

Publications/Merchandisi -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT

INC

Eakeley, Priscilla

3/31/2004 $2,000.00

Short Hills, NJ 07078

Conde

Nast/Editor -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT

INC

Friend, Theodore

5/20/2004 $500.00

Brooklyn, NY 11201

conde

nast/writer -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT

INC

Godfrey-June, Jean

11/25/2003 $500.00

Nyack, NY 10960

Conde

Nast/Editor -[Contribution]

CLARK FOR PRESIDENT INC

Lahr, John

3/4/2004 $500.00

New York, NY 10036

Conde

Nast/Writer -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT

INC

Leive, Cynthia

4/2/2004 $2,000.00

New York, NY 10013

Conde Nast

Publications/Magazine Ed -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT

INC

Mate, Jim

11/21/2003 $250.00

Cranford, NJ 07016

Conde Nast

Publications/Publishing -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT

INC

Mate, Jim Mr.

3/2/2004 $250.00

Cranford, NJ 07016

Conde Nast

Publications/Publishing -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT

INC

Schwartz, Howard

3/5/2003 $250.00

Englishtown, NJ 07726

Conde

Nast Publications/Publisher -[Contribution]

COMMITTEE TO ELECT

MCHUGH

Shnayerson, Michael

3/25/2004 $2,000.00

Sag Harbor, NY 11963

Conde

Nast/Journalist/Author -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Murray, Julie A

2/23/2004

$250.00

Las Vegas, NV 89117

Cox Newspapers/Senior Writer

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Murray, Julie A

2/23/2004

$250.00

Las Vegas, NV 89117

Cox Newspapers/Senior Writer

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Murray, Joe

10/3/2001

$500.00

Lufkin, TX 75904

Cox Newspapers/Senior Writer

-[Contribution]

JIM TURNER FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE

E-F-G-H

Porter, Steven

5/31/2004

$500.00

New York, NY 10025

Entertainment Weekly Magazine/Publi

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Tetzeli, Rick

3/27/2004

$1,000.00

Brooklyn, NY 11201

Entertainment Weekly/Editor

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Jacobs, AJ

5/20/2004

$500.00

New York, NY 10024

Esquire Magazine/Editor

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Lewis, Edward

7/6/2003

$2,000.00

New York, NY

Essence Magazine/CEO/Chairman

-[Contribution]

SHARPTON 2004

Lewis, Edward

4/7/2003 $1,000.00

New York,

NY 10036

Essence Communication/President -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Lewis, Edward

2/4/2004 $1,000.00

New York,

NY 10024

Essence Communication/CEO -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

LEWIS, EDWARD

2/10/2004

$1,000.00

NEW YORK, NY 10036

ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS PARTNERS

-[Contribution]

OBAMA FOR ILLINOIS INC

Serafin, Tatiana Ms

4/12/2004

$202.00

Brooklyn, NY 11211

Reporter -[Contribution] [Forbes]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Briggs, Jean A Ms.

2/2/2004

$250.00

New York, NY 10010

Forbes Inc./Journalist

-[Contribution]

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Briggs, JeanA. Ms.

2/19/2003

$250.00

New York, NY 10010

Forbes Inc./Journalist

-[Contribution]

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Blake, Mary C

12/15/2003

$1,000.00

Arlington, VA 22209

Gannett Co. Inc./Writer

-[Contribution]

CLOONEY FOR CONGRESS

Coyne, Judith W.

5/21/2003

$1,000.00

Pelham Manor, NY 10803

Hearst Corporation/Magazine Editor

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Coyne, Judith W.

2/19/2003 $1,000.00

Pelham

Manor, NY 10803

Hearst Corporation/Magazine Editor

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Gross, Amy

3/20/2004

$250.00

New York, NY 10011

Hearst Pubs. Inc/Magazine Editor

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Seymour, Lesley J Ms.

5/20/2004

$2,000.00

Larchmont, NY 10538

Hearst Publications/Editor Marie Cl

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Weisburg, Elaine G

3/5/2004

$500.00

New York, NY 10010

Hearst Magazines/Editor

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

K-L-M

Adcock, Beryl Ms.

5/27/2003

$200.00

Arlington, VA 22202

Knight RIDDER/Journalist

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

COMMITTEE

Adcock, Beryl Ms.

12/23/2003

$250.00

Arlington, VA 22202

Knight RIDDER/Journalist

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

COMMITTEE

Koteles, Julie R Miss

5/3/2004

$204.00

Calabasas, CA 91302

Los Angeles Daily News/Agate Editor

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

COMMITTEE

Dargis, Manohla

12/18/2003

$500.00

Los Angeles, CA 90036

Los Angeles Times/film critic

-[Contribution]

DEAN FOR AMERICA

Luchetti, Edward

12/19/2003

$250.00

Beverly Hills, CA 90212

LA TIMES/Polster

-[Contribution]

CLARK FOR PRESIDENT INC

N-N-N-N

Peretz, Martin

2/24/2004

$2,000.00

Cambridge, MA 02138

The New Republic/Editor

-[Contribution]

EDWARDS FOR PRESIDENT

Peretz, Martin Mr.

3/13/2004

$1,000.00

Cambridge, MA 02138

The New Republic/Editor-In-Chief

-[Contribution]

DRISCOLL FOR CONGRESS

{{THE FOLLOWING FOUR EMPLOYEES ARE LISTED BY ME

WITH THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS}}

Roberts, Matthew C Mr.

3/30/2004

$404.00

New York, NY 10009

Daily News/Photographer

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Gertler, James S.

6/17/2002

$649.00

New York, NY 10023

Daily News L.P./Executive

-[Contribution]

MIKE MCINTYRE FOR CONGRESS

Vickrey, Robert

5/4/2004

$250.00

Peru, IL 61354

Daily News Tribune Inc./Media Execu

-[Contribution]

ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY

Berkman, Meredith J

4/12/2004

$1,000.00

New York, NY 10024

New York Post/Journalist

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Burstein, Lawrence

1/16/2004 $300.00

New York, NY

10014

New York Magazine/Publisher -[Contribution]

DEAN FOR AMERICA

Malcolm, Janet

12/5/2003 $200.00

New York, NY

10003

New York Magazine/Writer -[Contribution]

DEAN FOR AMERICA

Angell, Roger

5/27/2004 $500.00

New York, NY

10128

New Yorker/Writer-Editor -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Denby, David Mr.

3/15/2004 $1,000.00

New York, NY

10023

The New Yorker -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Denby, David Mr.

5/27/2004 $250.00

New York, NY

10023

The New Yorker -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Hertzberg, Hendrik

4/13/2004 $500.00

New York, NY

10036

The New Yorker/Journalist -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Hertzberg, Hendrik Mr.

5/27/2004 $400.00

New York,

NY 10025

the New Yorker magazine/Senior Edit -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Klaris, Edward J Mr.

4/12/2004 $250.00

New York, NY

10025

The New Yorker/Attorney -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Bischoff, Dan

12/30/2003 $250.00

South

Orange, NJ 07079

Newark Star Ledger/Writer -[Contribution]

DEAN FOR

AMERICA

MURDOCH, RUPERT

12/17/2001 $1,000.00

NEW YORK, NY 10036

NEWS

CORPORATION -[Contribution]

KERRY COMMITTEE

MURDOCH, RUPERT

3/29/2001 $1,000.00

NEW YORK, NY 10036

NEWS

CORPORATION -[Contribution]

KERRY COMMITTEE

MURDOCH, K RUPERT

12/1/1999 $1,000.00

BEVERLY HILLS, CA

90210

NEWS CORP./FOX INC -[Contribution]

KENNEDY FOR SENATE 2000

Behrens, David S

4/12/2004

$1,000.00

New York, NY 10017

Newsday/Journalist

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Hall,

Rita

3/17/2004 $2,000.00

Great Neck, NY

11023

Newsday/Artist -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Metz, Andrew

5/28/2004 $245.00

Albany, NY

12224

Newsday/Press -[Contribution]

NEW YORK STATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE

Bramblett, Reid

5/29/2004

$500.00

Maspeth, NY 11378

Newsweek Budget Travel/Associate Ed

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Enslow, Anne

3/23/2004

$1,000.00

Hoboken, NJ 07030

Newsweek/Health And Medical Reporte

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Fuzesi, Stephen Jr.

12/16/2003

$200.00

Greenwich, CT 06830

Newsweek Inc/Lawyer/Chief Counsel

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

COMMITTEE

Powell, William J. Mr. Jr.

2/20/2000

$500.00

New York, NY 10019

Newsweek Magazine/Journalist

-[Contribution]

MCCAIN 2000 INC

Powell, William J. Mr. Jr.

2/26/2000

$500.00

New York, NY 10019

Newsweek Magazine/Journalist

-[Contribution]

MCCAIN 2000 INC

Wall, Carolyn Ms.

5/11/1999

$1,000.00

Stamford, CT 06903

Newsweek Magazine/Executive

-[Contribution]

BILL BRADLEY FOR PRESIDENT INC

O-P-Q-R

MCKIBBEN,

P SCOTT

12/31/2003

$1,000.00

PLEASANTON, CA 94566

OAKLAND TRIBUNE -[Contribution]

FRIENDS OF

GEORGE ALLEN

MCKIBBEN,

P SCOTT

12/31/2003 $1,000.00

PLEASANTON, CA 94566

OAKLAND TRIBUNE

-[Contribution]

FRIENDS OF

GEORGE ALLEN

Beinart,

Jean

3/5/2003 $250.00

New York, NY 10023

People Magazine/Deputy Art

Director -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY

FOR PRESIDENT INC

Karlin,

Lisa

9/25/2003 $500.00

Brooklyn, NY 11201

People Magazine/Journalist

-[Contribution]

CLARK FOR

PRESIDENT INC

Pottick,

Kathleen J

12/23/2003

$325.00

Ringoes, NJ 08551

Philadelphia inquirer/TV Critic

-[Contribution]

DEAN FOR

AMERICA

Erman,

Michael

3/21/2004

$250.00

New York, NY 10009

Reuters/Journalist -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY

FOR PRESIDENT INC

Selles,

Dennis M

9/29/2003

$250.00

Denver, CO 80209

Rocky Mountain News/Copy Editor

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES

CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Swanson,

David M Mr.

3/30/2004

$202.00

New York, NY 10028

Rolling Stone Magazine/Journalist

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY

FOR PRESIDENT INC

Swanson,

David M Mr.

3/30/2004 $202.00

New York, NY 10028

Rolling Stone

Magazine/Journalist -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY

FOR PRESIDENT INC

Topham,

Edward M

4/3/2004

$2,000.00

New York, NY 10014

Rolling Stone Magazine/Writer

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY

FOR PRESIDENT INC

Tsang,

Teri E Ms.

4/13/2004

$202.00

New York, NY 10003

Rolling Stone/Pr -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY

FOR PRESIDENT INC

Wenner,

Jann S Mr.

9/30/2003

$1,000.00

New York, NY 10104

Rolling Stones/Owner -[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES

CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Wenner,

Jann S.

10/30/2003

$2,000.00

NY, NY 10104

Rolling Stones/Founder -[Contribution]

SHARPTON

2004

S-T-U-V

Homan,

Rebecca

5/25/2004

$200.00

Saint Louis, MO 63112

St.

Louis Post Dispatch/Journalist -[Contribution]

JOHN

KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Kerth,

Susan

3/31/2003

$500.00

Saint Louis, MO 63144

St.

Louis Post Dispatch/Writer -[Contribution]

GEPHARDT

FOR PRESIDENT INC.

Kerth,

Susan

9/30/2003 $500.00

Saint Louis,

MO 63144

St. Louis Post Dispatch/Writer

-[Contribution]

GEPHARDT

FOR PRESIDENT INC.

Kerth,

Susan

12/30/2003 $500.00

Saint Louis,

MO 63144

St. Louis Post Dispatch/Writer

-[Contribution]

GEPHARDT

FOR PRESIDENT INC.

Mieszkowski,

Katharine Ms.

6/16/2003

$200.00

San Francisco, CA 94133

Salon.com/Writer -[Contribution]

EMILY'S

LIST

Talbot,

David

4/7/2003

$500.00

San Francisco, CA 94110

Salon

Media Group/Editor -[Contribution]

DEAN

FOR AMERICA

Pates,

William G Mr.

3/25/2004

$200.00

San Francisco, CA 94133

San Francisco Chronicle/Editor

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY

FOR PRESIDENT INC

KELLY,

CAROLYN

12/10/2003

$250.00

SEATTLE, WA 98119

SEATTLE TIMES -[Contribution]

PEOPLE FOR

PATTY MURRAY U S SENATE CAMPAIGN

Tiller,

Anne

2/9/2004

$900.00

Seattle, WA 98107

Seattle Times/Online Art -[Contribution]

CLARK FOR

PRESIDENT INC

Hoag,

Alex

6/30/2003

$500.00

Minneapolis, MN 55401

Star Tribune/Vice President

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY

FOR PRESIDENT INC

Halaki,

Helga Ms.

5/3/2004

$1,000.00

New York, NY 10024

Time Magazine Time Inc./Editorial/E

-[Contribution]

NADER FOR

PRESIDENT 2004

Halaki,

Helga Ms.

5/20/2004 $200.00

New York, NY 10024

Time Magazine Time

Inc./Editorial/E -[Contribution]

NADER FOR

PRESIDENT 2004

Bardach,

Martha

6/12/2002

$250.00

Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

Time Magazine/Journalist

-[Contribution]

FRIENDS OF

ELLE K KURPIEWSKI FOR CONGRESS

Sachs,

Andrea

8/8/2001

$1,000.00

New York, NY 10023

Time Magazine/Senior Reporter

-[Contribution]

FRIENDS OF

DAVID FINK

Carter,

Joanne W. Ms.

8/9/1999

$200.00

Brooklyn, NY 11233

Time Magazine -[Contribution]

GORE 2000

INC

TOBIAS,

ANDREW

5/3/2000

$500.00

MIAMI, FL 33138

TIME MAGAZINE -[Contribution]

KENNEDY FOR

SENATE 2000

Burgheim,

Richard

3/31/2004

$2,000.00

New York, NY 10024

Time Inc/Magazine Editor

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY

FOR PRESIDENT INC

GARTON,

KEITH

8/29/2003

$500.00

NEW YORK, NY 10016

TIME INC -[Contribution]

FRIENDS OF

HILLARY

Garton,

Keith Mr.

8/18/2003

$1,500.00

New York, NY 10016

Time Inc Time Warner/Publisher

-[Contribution]

DNC SERVICES

CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Osheyack,

Daniel

3/9/2004

$250.00

New York, NY 10014

Time Incorporated/Magazine Publishi

-[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY

FOR PRESIDENT INC

Peacock,

Chris

7/18/2003

$250.00

New York, NY 10002

Time Inc./Journalist -[Contribution]

DEAN FOR

AMERICA

O'Donnell,

Jayne

3/27/2003

$250.00

Mc Lean, VA 22101

USA Today/Journalist -[Contribution]

DEAN FOR

AMERICA

Shriver,

Jerry Dean

6/12/2003

$1,000.00

New York, NY 10019

USA Today/Journalist -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY

FOR PRESIDENT INC

Willing,

Richard T Jr

2/5/2003

$250.00

Mc Lean, VA 22101

USA Today/Reporter -[Contribution]

DEAN FOR

AMERICA

Willing,

Richard T Jr

3/31/2003 $250.00

Mc Lean, VA 22101

USA Today/Reporter

-[Contribution]

DEAN FOR

AMERICA

O'Shaughnessy,

Elise

1/21/2004

$2,000.00

New York, NY 10025

Vanity Fair/Editor -[Contribution]

DEAN FOR

AMERICA

Peretz,

Evgenia

9/30/2003

$250.00

New York, NY 10013

Vanity Fair/Writer -[Contribution]

CLARK FOR

PRESIDENT INC

W-X-Y-Z

Sender,

Henny

5/31/2004

$300.00

New York, NY 10025

The Wall Street Journal -[Contribution]

JOHN KERRY

FOR PRESIDENT INC

Arnold,

Gary Mr.

6/11/2003

$300.00

Arlington, VA 22203

Washington Times/Journalist/ Movie

-[Contribution]

REPUBLICAN

NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Arnold,

Gary Mr.

4/12/2004 $300.00

Arlington, VA 22203

Washington

Times/Journalist/ Movie -[Contribution]

REPUBLICAN

NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Forwarded Message:
Subj: Your Inquiry
Date: 7/13/2004 4:38:22 PM Central Daylight Time
From: mathis@nytimes.com
To: MPetrelis@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)


Dear Mr. Petrelis,

You are correct that three out of the four people mentioned in your e-mail
are not subject to The New York Times newspaper's code of conduct on
political contributions. We will look into the situation with Ms. Stewart
but we do not publicly discuss such personnel issues.

Sincerely,

Catherine Mathis
VP, Corporate Communications
The New York Times Company
212-556-1981 (office)
917-593-7425 (cell)
mathis@nytimes.com

Nice to know Editor and Publisher knows a story when they see it!
^^^

Editor and Publisher

'NY Times' Mag Editor May Have Broken Political Gift Ban

By Joe Strupp

Published: July 12, 2004

NEW YORK An editor at The New York Times Magazine may have violated the newspaper's highly-publicized ban on political campaign contributions with a $1,000 donation to John Kerry's presidential campaign, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis confirmed that the newspaper was looking into the contribution by Elizabeth Stewart, a fashion editor for the Times Magazine, who made the donation on May 20, according to campaign records listed at the PoliticalMoneyLine Web site.

"Right now we are checking," Mathis told E&P. "We would certainly tell the employee this is in violation of the policy, but we never discuss disciplinary action."

Stewart, who is based in Los Angeles, could not be reached for comment Monday. A review of campaign records indicated three other Times employees also had given to the Kerry campaign this year, but none are in the editorial department.

"The policy does not apply to non-newsroom employees," Mathis said.

Joe Strupp (jstrupp@editorandpublisher.com) is senior editor for E&P.

July 12, 2004

Catherine Mathis
Director of Communications
The New York Times

Dear Ms. Mathis:

According to new Federal Election Commission records, employees of the New York Times, including a fashion editor for the Sunday Magazine and a former metro desk editor, have donated money to Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign, despite a company ban on such donations.

FEC files show the following:

- On May 25, Elizabeth Stewart, of the Sunday Magazine's fashion pages, contributed $1,000 to Kerry's campaign.

- Former editor for the metro section, Alan Flippen, on May 13 donated $250 to Kerry, and in his FEC file lists his job at The Times as "labor relations."

- William Usuik, from the paper's communications department, sent a check for $1,000 to Kerry on May 20.

- And Douglas Andersen, who listed his New York Times position as "manager," contributed $250 to Kerry's effort back in March. [1, 2]

It is my understanding that the paper's policy prohibiting political donations applies only to editorial staff, so it certainly seems as though among the recent Times donors, only Stewart has violated your standards.

“Staff members may not themselves give money to, or raise money for, any political candidate or election cause. Given the ease of Internet access to public records of campaign contributors, any political giving by a times staff member would carry a great risk of feeding a false impression that the paper is taking sides,” states the code. [3]

Although the prohibition does not officially cover the three other recent Times donors who favor Kerry, there is the appearance that a few of the paper's employees from various divisions, back the Democratic presidential contender.

As a shareholder and a reader, I'd like to know if the ethics and standards editor will demand Stewart get her money refunded, and be reprimanded for breaching company policy.

A prompt reply is requested.

Regards,
Michael Petrelis
San Francisco, CA
415-621-6267

Sources:
1. Political Money Line
2. FEC site
3. NYT code of ethics

FEC records:

Andersen, Douglas
3/4/2004 $250.00
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
The New York Times Company/Manager -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Stewart, Elizabeth
5/20/2004 $1,000.00
Santa Monica, CA 90402
NY Times Magazine/Fashion Editor -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Flippen, Alan
5/13/2004 $250.00
New York, NY 10036
New York Times Co./Labor relations -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

Usuik, William
5/20/2004 $1,000.00
New York, NY 10014
New York Times/Communications -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC

In America, most people accused of a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty, but that presumption is not extended to the founder of Enron, Kenneth Lay.

The White House and Bush/Cheney reelection campaign officials distanced themselves from Lay, although he was one of the largest donors to Bush's campaigns, and made significant contributions to Republican PACs and candidates.

Democratic presidential challenger Sen. John Kerry, who has not accepted a dime from Lay, in a speech last week to Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition, made reference to recent big business scandals.

"Our tax codes have gone from 14 pages to 17,000 pages. Let me ask you: Any of you got your own page? Exxon's got its own page. Enron's got its own page. Halliburton's probably got its own chapter," Kerry said.

Doesn't sound to me as though Kerry looks too kindly on these corporations and their ways of conducting business.

But that didn't stop Kerry's campaign's from accepting a $250 donation from an Enron accountant back in May, which is the only check he received from the firm's employees for presidential bid. His senatorial campaign in 2001 cashed a $1,000 check from an executive of Enron Wind, a subsidiary of the firm.

(Today's Boston Herald ran a story by reporter David R. Guarino about Lay's ties to Kerry and his wife Teresa, which claims Kerry returned the $1,000, but I can't locate any Federal Election Commission records showing he indeed gave back that money. [1] )

Kerry also raked in $3,999 from two Halliburton employees this year.

Exxon leaders and employees have coughed up $13,550 so far in 2004 for Kerry's White House aspirations.

Sen. John Edwards received no donations from Enron and Halliburton employees, but he did get $1,000 in February from an Exxon manager for his presidential campaign.

The subtotal amount Kerry and Edwards have received from these three corporations is $19,799.

The Democratic National Committee is also not adverse to cashing checks from these corporations.

In the current election cycle, two Enron lawyers donated $1,750 to the DNC Services Corporation, while an Exxon tax advisor, two lawyers and a geologist contributed $4,340, and one Halliburton attorney contributed $200. Subtotal in these donations comes to $6,290.

Total amount received by Kerry, Edwards and the DNC from Enron, Exxon and Halliburton in just recent campaign cycles is $26,089. [2,3,4]

In the grand scheme of American politics, that is an extremely paltry amount of money, but it is also an enormously embarrassing symbol of something wrong with how we elect our officeholders.

We allow candidates to criticize some big businesses and their leaders, especially when accused of wrongdoing, but give politicians a pass on using contributions from the same corporations' executives and employees.

As America waits for Kenneth Lay to go on trial, I'll watch Kerry, Edwards and the DNC use tainted corporate dollars on their road to the White House.

Sources:
1. Boston Herald story
2. Open Secrets
3. Political Money Line
4. Federal Election Commission

Over the long Fourth of July holiday weekend I cruised the web trying to find and examine Sen. John Kerry's FBI files, but alas, they were not to be found.

You may recall that back in March, portions of Kerry's FBI files gathered over many years by Gerald Nicosia, a Marin County-based journalist and staunch Kerry supporter, were shown to the Los Angeles Times, and the paper ran a story about the files on March 22.

The Associated Press, in a March 23 wire story about Kerry's files, quoted him saying, "We're suddenly learning about [the FBI records] because I am about to be the nominee of the party, and the Republicans are very good at finding records that have been lost for a long period of time, particularly when they control the government."

But that wasn't the case at all, as reported in the Los Angeles Times, which showed how Nicosia collected some of his Kerry FBI files because he made Freedom of Information Act requests back in the 1990s, for the files on Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Kerry was a leader of the group in the early 1970s.

Then on May 5 the A.P. sent out a story based on the more than 9,000 pages of FBI files on VVAW, some of which pertained to Kerry. The A.P. used a FOIA request to pry the documents loose from the FBI.

In that A.P. story, Kerry welcomed the release of these records.

"I think it's great. I'm very proud of my efforts to end the war. I welcome anybody's perusal of them. I'm proud that I stood up to Richard Nixon. And you know, I personally have also requested those documents. So I'm happy to have them out there. It's terrific," Kerry said.

Some Kerry detractors will say he flip-flopped on the issue of some of his FBI files being shown to an LA Times reporter this March, and the records on VVAW obtained by the A.P. in May, but I don't agree. Kerry's position on the many FBI files related to him and his antiwar activities simply evolved over the months.

What I think is important about his May quote is that he welcomes the public's perusal of the VVAW files.

Glad to learn that, but the VVAW's FBI records have not been made available to the public by the A.P., which, as a news organization, is under no obligation to share its source materials. Nor has the FBI posted a single page from the 9,000-plus pages VVAW file on its web site. Same goes for Kerry. You won't find any pages from his FBI dossier on his campaign web site.

All this background on Kerry and his FBI file got me thinking about the records the agency must have on Kerry's running mate Sen. John Edwards, President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, independent candidate Ralph Nader, and his veep pick, leftist economist Peter Camejo.

After much searching, I couldn't locate any news articles or source materials on any FBI files for these other candidates, leading me to wonder why Kerry alone has been singled out thus far by the media for scrutiny over his FBI records.

Journalistic balance, and the long-forgotten ideal of treating all presidential and vice presidential candidates to the same standards, requires the same media outlets that wrote about Kerry's FBI records to get on the stick about the files on the other men.

To jump start that process, I today filed FOIA requests with the Department of Justice for the FBI files on Kerry, Bush, Nader, Cheney, Edwards and Camejo, and I have invoked the expedited processing clause of FOIA to hopefully have the files provided to me within ten calendar days.

Below is the letter and statement faxed and snail mailed to DOJ this afternoon. Similar ones, using the individual names of the candidates instead of Kerry's, were also sent today.

At this point in the 2004 presidential race, and as America celebrates 228 years of democracy, now is the time for all presidential candidates and their running mates to request and release their FBI on the web.

Let the public and voters peruse such FBI files and decide how best to use that information to vote this November.

(Full disclosure: I am the San Francisco volunteer coordinator for the Nader/Camejo ticket, and sent Nader a check for $10 in March.)
^^^

July 6, 2004

Mark Corallo
Director of Public Affairs
U.S. Department of Justice
10th & Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530

RE: Expedited FOIA request for Sen. John Kerry's FBI file

Dear Mr. Corallo:

Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, I am writing to request expedited processing for a copy of all of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's files on Sen. John Kerry, D-MA.

As you know, the Department of Justice's FOIA web site says the agency will expedite FOIA requests, "by a person primarily engaged in disseminating information to the public and the information is urgently needed to inform the public concerning some actual or alleged government activity ... [and DOJ] expedites requests when the subject is of widespread and exceptional media interest and the information sought involves possible questions about the government's integrity which affect public confidence."

I believe that as a blogger journalist, I qualify as an individual sharing important information with the public. Furthermore, Sen. Kerry, as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, meets the specifications outlined in DOJ policy for expediting FOIA requests.

Although the Freedom of Information Act does not require DOJ to make FBI files available on the web, I nonetheless ask DOJ to post on the FBI web site any and all files related to Sen. Kerry that you will soon release to me.

Therefore, since FOIA demands you respond to my expedited processing request within ten calendar days, I expect notification by DOJ regarding my request by July 15, 2004.

I look forward to a prompt reply.

Regards,
Michael Petrelis

- - -
STATEMENT
July 6, 2004

Mark Corallo
Director of Public Affairs
U.S. Department of Justice
10th & Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530

RE: Reasons for expedited processing request

Dear Mr. Corallo:

I am a blogger journalist filing an expedited Freedom of Information Act request for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's files on Sen. John Kerry, D-MA.

It is my contention Sen. Kerry's files must quickly be released to me, as a blogger journalist, a voter and an American citizen, to better inform the electorate before the November 2, 2004, election for the White House. Voters must have the opportunity to view his files, in order to be as educated as possible about the candidate.

Information from the FBI's files released to me on Sen. Kerry will be widely disseminated through my blog, www.mpetrelis.blogspot.com, and emails.

I certify that the reasons given for expedited release of Sen. Kerry's FBI files are true and correct.

Regards,
Michael Petrelis

Today's "Bad Reporter" cartoon in the S.F. Chronicle is truly funny. It's about a new gun, the Gay-K 47, and how the NRA feels about it.

You can find the cartoon at:

SF Gate

And here's what the New York Post had to say about the "Devouring Dubya," as I call it, ad in The Nation.
^^^

NY Post gossip page

July 2, 2004
NY Post

Page Six
by Richard Johnson

DEMON ART

A SHOCKING image of a blood-spattered President Bush devouring a headless child is causing an uproar. The drawing by sculptor Richard Serra, based on a painting by Goya, is being used to promote pleasevote.com, billed as "a call to vote the Bush administration out of office." It appears on the back cover of The Nation's July 5 issue. Ironically, Serra, a past recipient of NEA grants, was once praised by First Lady Laura Bush in a White House press release about one of his pieces at a Texas museum. His "Tilted Arc" once graced (or defaced) Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan until it was destroyed in 1989. Pundit Andrew Sullivan labeled the Bush image "an obscenity" and "simple demonization."

When I filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's San Francisco office in May 2003, I expected, at most, to get back ten, maybe a dozen, pages.

The agency three months ago released to me 269 pages of the 273 file the local office has on me. I reacted with shock and awe at the rather voluminous file. After recovering my balance, I filed an appeal for the four pages withheld by the FBI.

Poring over my FBI file, I learned how extensive the effort was by taxpayer-subsidized AIDS researchers, prevention experts and epidemiologists at the University of California at San Francisco to have me charged in late 2001 under the USA Patriot Act, as a domestic terrorist.

How did my file compare to the one compiled by the FBI on the Gay Activists Alliance in the early 1970s, I wondered. Google quickly provided me the answer.

The FBI file on GAA is only 135 pages long, much smaller than mine. Not that I'm a size queen about these matters, but it's a small badge of honor to have an FBI file, as an individual, larger than the one it has on an organization. [1, 2]

Reading the GAA document was a history lesson for me. The FBI file includes portions of GAA's Constitution and Bylaws, in which they proudly proclaim, "We as liberated homosexual activists demand the freedom for expression of our dignity . . . [and] an immediate end to all oppression of homosexuals." Much of the file explains what the FBI knew about GAA's planned zaps and other actions at the 1972 Democratic and GOP party conventions in Miami.

The wonder awful thing about the GAA file is the richness of detail about the state of our movement, at least on the East Coast, and how organized the activists were, before our community was fully legal.

Who were the brave pioneers under surveillance by the federal agents, some of whom were questioned and investigated by the G-men?

In a memo from the FBI's Miami bureau dated June 19, 1972, the agents were "furnished a list of Gay organizations along with their leaders who will be attending the Miami Democratic and Republican Conventions. This list consisting of five pages is enclosed."

The name that stands out most is that of Ann Woytow, of the White House Vigilers [sic] for Peace, because of the address, "1600 Penn Avenue, Sidewalk, Washington, DC 20002."

(Um, Ms. Woytow, were expecting the post office to deliver your mail by mistake to the residence behind the iron fence on the sidewalk you list as your address? Oh, we don't see enough of such characters that much today, and I wish we did.)

When the FBI released the GAA file in 1999, and posted it on the web, a news release was issued, leading me to think there must have been stories about the file and its contents, in both the mainstream and gay press, but after a few on line searches, I could not find one. [3]

Did I miss those articles back in 1999? If I did, and you have copies, or know where I can locate them on the web, please let me know.

And if you haven't already done so, make a FOIA request with the FBI and see what the agency may have on you.

Sources:
1. FBI GAA file, pt. 1
2. FBI GAA file, pt. 2
3. FBI news release on GAA file

Many thanks to all who have written to me about the pleasevote.com ad in The Nation this week, pointing out the work is an appropriation of a famous painting by Goya, "Saturn Devouring one of his Children."

To see Goya's original art work, along with an explanation of it, go to this site.

The ad, by sculptor Richard Serra, is capturing the attention of voters and pundits on the left and right.

Speaking of Serra, none other than First Lady Laura Bush is a fan of one of his works in the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

At a February 2003 event for the museum, Laura Bush said, "Art doesn't just hang in the Modern - it comes to life. Richard Serra's Vortex 2002, is a wonderful welcome to the museum. I enjoyed seeing Jackson Pollock's Masqued Image. And given my fondness for books, I, of course loved Anselm Kiefer's giant book." (Source: White House site.)

I wonder how she feels about Serra's new work in The Nation ad, featuring her husband.