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ehrnst

(32,640 posts)
Tue Apr 25, 2017, 08:14 AM Apr 2017

Dark money vs. corporate cash: Virginia Democratic rivals clash over funding

RICHMOND — One candidate takes money from an international activist group that doesn’t disclose the names of the overwhelming majority of its donors. The other takes money from Virginia’s biggest utility, which is also the top lobbyist in the state.

As Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and former congressman Tom Perriello battle for the Democratic nomination for governor, their fundraising is emerging as an issue that defines them as much as their slim differences on policy.

Northam has called on Perriello to renounce “dark money,” just days after Perriello disclosed $230,000 in contributions from an international activist group called Avaaz, which Perriello helped found a decade ago.


As a 501(c)(4) charity, Avaaz is not required to disclose its individual donors, which it says come from among nearly 45 million members in 194 countries.
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Perriello’s biggest donation was $500,000 in kickoff money from Sonjia Smith, a Democratic contributor from his home town of Charlottesville.

Overall, however, Perriello drew far more from out-of-state sources than Northam — 57 percent for Perriello compared with 11 percent for Northam — according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP).

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Northam reported $5,000 from Dominion chief executive Thomas F. Farrell II in the first quarter of this year and took more than $20,000 from the corporation in 2016, according to VPAP.

This comes at a time when Dominion’s huge influence in Richmond is under scrutiny. More than 60 Democratic candidates in upcoming House of Delegates races have signed a pledge refusing to take money from Dominion, and Perriello has rejected the utility’s money as well.

Northam’s campaign emphasized that 92 percent of his contributions were $100 or less and said he is not influenced by big money.

“The only influence on Ralph Northam’s vote is what’s in the best interest of Virginians,” campaign spokesman David Turner said.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/dark-money-vs-corporate-cash-democratic-rivals-clash-over-funding/2017/04/21/cc91253c-25d7-11e7-a1b3-faff0034e2de_story.html?utm_term=.6d998fd7fe32
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Dark money vs. corporate cash: Virginia Democratic rivals clash over funding (Original Post) ehrnst Apr 2017 OP
Have to wonder when Dark Money became something that wasn't damning proof of 'corporatist' (nt) ehrnst Apr 2017 #1
Interesting post thanks. Demsrule86 Apr 2017 #2
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