Reply #10: (CA) Electoral vote initiative backers revealed (Clinton backer included) -->> LA Times

[nashville_brook]

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na...

Electoral vote initiative backers revealed
Contributors to campaign to change California's winner-take-all system are supporters of a variety of presidential candidates.

By Dan Morain, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 7, 2007

Backers of a proposed initiative that would change the way California's electoral votes are awarded disclosed Tuesday that they had received $538,000 from a list of donors who have contributed to a variety of presidential candidates.

The required disclosure to the California secretary of state helps to dispel the notion that Republican candidate Rudolph W. Giuliani is behind the measure. The initiative received its initial $175,000 from a top Giuliani backer, Wall Street mogul Paul E. Singer. Others involved in the effort also have ties to the former New York City mayor.

"It could not be a Giuliani effort," said Republican strategist Ed Rollins, who is overseeing the campaign. "It can't be tainted by any presidential campaign."

The campaign is expected to file more reports in coming days as backers raise $2 million to place the measure on the June 2008 ballot. With one exception, the donors disclosed Tuesday are Californians. Federal election records show they have given to each of the major GOP presidential candidates. One has donated the maximum to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic front-runner -- even though Democrats fiercely oppose the initiative.

(much more at link, including $$ donors -- brook)