Biden opens fundraising activities with major donors

Joe Biden plans to allow the media to access all of his fundraising events, a demonstration of transparency designed to respond to growing discomfort of the Democratic base in the role of big donors in politics.

Unlike its 2020 rivals, who have established strong online fundraising operations with small donors, Biden is more dependent on the type of large donors and expensive events that voters in the Democratic primary reject. The day he launched his presidential bid last week, his opponents, including Bernie Sanders, an online fundraising center, seized the occasion of Biden's first fundraiser in Philadelphia for blame. to the former vice president to be too comfortable with corporate donors while positioning himself as a candidate of the working class.

History continues below

The multimedia access provided by the campaign is not unlimited. Television cameras will not be allowed and it is unclear to what extent print and telegraph reporters will be allowed to attend. When Biden will attend a private fundraiser at the home of a South Carolina sympathizer this weekend during a brief visit to the state, only the print and electronic reporters pooled will be allowed inside.

But the remarks prepared by Biden and his answers to all the questions with these donors will be made public in the reports of the reserve. And the access will provide at least some visibility on what's going on in the room and on the fundraisers.

The approach of the Biden campaign goes beyond the access that others on the ground allow. The campaigns of Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, for example, do not allow uniform access to private fundraising.

"This reflects Joe Biden's longstanding commitment to transparency," said a spokesman for Biden.

This decision comes as the 76-year-old faces a historically diverse group of candidates that addresses voter concerns by rejecting traditional fundraising practices. Senator Elizabeth Warren has taken the most comprehensive stance, stating that she would no longer even meet privately with significant donors, let alone behind closed doors for an elite group.

Instead, candidates turned to online fundraising and promoting proximity, measuring their strength not only by the total amount, but also by the number of donors and the size of the average donation.

Biden's campaign announced last week that he had raised $ 6.3 million on his first day as an announced candidate, placing him at the top of the overcrowded Democratic primary primaries in terms of total fundraising. funds the first day and removing the doubts about the risk of not being able to compete in this new era of small donor-driven campaigns.

According to a donor close to the campaign, at least part of the calculation of Biden approach warns the former vice president, very prone to the blunder, that his remarks will be made public.

"He wants to make sure everyone understands that what he says in public is no different than what he says in private," said the donor, informed of the political but not allowed to speak about it publicly. "It includes: too many phones, too many recordings" are available to access social media.

Thanks to technology, everyone, be it a high-level donor or a caterer working for an event, can capture video or audio in a closed environment. And it is in these unguarded moments that candidates slip often and create significant headaches for their campaigns.

During his 2012 presidential campaign, GOP candidate Mitt Romney faced a storm following the disclosure of his speech at a private event revealing that he had declared that "47%" of the American people "depended on the government, which thinks itself a victim, who believes the government is responsible for taking care of them, who believe they have the right to health care, food, housing, to you-name it . "

In 2008, Barack Obama sparked controversy after fleeing his speech at a private fundraiser in San Francisco. He had sadly referred to frustrated voters in a small Pennsylvania town as people who "hang on to guns, to religion, or to antipathy toward people who are not." And as Hillary Clinton said at a fundraiser in New York in 2016 that Donald Trump supporters belonged to "a basket of deplorable", which haunted her during the final months of the campaign.

"Whether it's the quote of" 47% "," clinging to guns and religion "or the" basket of deplorable ones "- all of which were statements used by presidential candidates at the time fundraising and provoking some controversy – I think the candidates are worried. tell financial supporters, behind closed doors, that they would say nothing on the trunk, "said Rufus Gifford, former national finance director of Barack Obama. "That's why having media in the room is a good thing."

According to Obama, Ami Copeland, former deputy director of national finance at Obama, had the habit of dealing with events in a pool report. Printed reporters were allowed to access the room, but not without hindrance.

"That's how he did it. There is some access but not full access – the media can not mix and mix across the room, "said Copeland." This looks like a snap to transparency while protecting the # Will have privacy. "

Sen. Dick Harpootlian, a lawyer and former president of the Democratic Party of South Carolina, will host a Saturday Biden fundraiser at his home, where tickets range from $ 1,000 to $ 2,800, he said. Harpootlian said that 60 to 100 people were expected and, while acknowledging that the presence of the media means that customers give up some sense of privacy, he added that this ultimately came with the territory.

"Everyone is afraid of having public access to your home, but we are organizing a fundraiser for the [former] Vice President of the United States who wants to be President of the United States and if his campaign wants to make it a transparent process, sacrifices will be made, but that's something we will do, "Harpootlian said. Joe Biden says his campaign is transparent, I do not know anyone who will attend and who will have a problem with that. "

Several veteran fundraisers that participated in national presidential campaigns described Biden's move as unusual, given that the general rule of fundraising, especially for individuals, is to respect the privacy of the individual. owner. Another fundraiser, who is linking with a competing candidate in the field, called the move a little more than smoked.

"At the end of the day, transparency is revealed to everyone. They are required to reveal the identity of the people [Federal Election Commission] reports, "said the fundraiser. "For me, it's more optical than anything else."

Be that as it may, the donor class is unlikely to welcome the Biden campaign.

"When you organize, people will ask," There will be no press there, right? "Said one veteran of the national fundraiser." Many of these things are people in their own circles. "I do not think donors would want everyone to know who they are referring to."