Howard Roark
09-12-2004, 02:42 PM
Lexington Herald Leader ^ | Sept. 12, 2004 | Glen Justice And Eric Lichtblau
WASHINGTON - Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, an advocacy group that jolted the presidential race with commercials questioning Sen. John Kerry's military service, said it has raised $6.7 million in a windfall brought about by the group's high profile in recent weeks.
Several of the largest donors are longtime supporters of President Bush, according to a financial disclosure report filed on Friday with the Federal Election Commission. The largest contributor was T. Boone Pickens, a famous Texas oilman and longtime Republican supporter who was a major political backer of Bush's father, who contributed $500,000 to the swift boat group. Aubrey McClendon, chief executive of Chesapeake Energy in Oklahoma, gave $250,000; Bob Perry, another Bush supporter from Texas, gave $200,000 to seed the group; and Albert Huddleston, a Texas energy executive who raised money for Bush in 2000, gave $100,000, records show.
Sam Wyly, the wealthy Texas entrepreneur who financed commercials attacking Sen. John McCain in the 2000 Republican primary against Bush, also made the list at $10,000, as did his brother Charles, records show. At least two of the swift boat donors are also listed as Bush Pioneers for having raised at least $100,000 for Bush's re-election.
The swift boat group's disclosure listed only part of the group's contributions -- donors who gave $1,000 or more -- and was required to because the group ran advertisements that necessitate such a filing under new campaign finance laws. The group released additional information in a statement and in interviews, saying that much of its money had come in after its provocative advertisements captured media attention in recent weeks.
"The words 'tidal wave' come to mind," said Mike Russell, a spokesman for the group, who added that "you don't often see that type of grass-roots reaction. People tune things out, but we were able to punch through."
Swift Boat Veterans has spent more than $4.2 million since April, Russell said, mostly on radio and television advertisements. It had about $2.5 million left in the bank this week, he said, leaving the group in a strong position to continue its barrage of attack ads.
Among the donors from Bush's home state was Lawrence Gelman, a physician in McAllen, Texas, who made six contributions of $1,000 each beginning in late August. He said he first heard about the group's campaign amid last month's burst of media stories and decided he wanted to support it.
"This thing about Kerry and his medal, to me, sounded very odd," he said. "As a physician, I understand that for someone to be wounded that many times and not have to be hospitalized sounded very strange. It made me feel better to help people who had what I thought was a legitimate point of view."
Gelman, 52, described himself as conservative politically and said that while he has donated to Bush, he is not a big fan. "To me, he's the lesser of two evils. I'm not thrilled with President Bush, but I think he would be better than Kerry," he said.
He said the counter-attacks on the swift boat group and its veracity have spurred him to make more contributions.
"When someone comes out against them, I get riled up and give another contribution," he said. The group began attacking Kerry's record in Vietnam months ago and launched its commercials in recent weeks which, although their claims have been called into question, have monopolized the presidential race at times.
WASHINGTON - Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, an advocacy group that jolted the presidential race with commercials questioning Sen. John Kerry's military service, said it has raised $6.7 million in a windfall brought about by the group's high profile in recent weeks.
Several of the largest donors are longtime supporters of President Bush, according to a financial disclosure report filed on Friday with the Federal Election Commission. The largest contributor was T. Boone Pickens, a famous Texas oilman and longtime Republican supporter who was a major political backer of Bush's father, who contributed $500,000 to the swift boat group. Aubrey McClendon, chief executive of Chesapeake Energy in Oklahoma, gave $250,000; Bob Perry, another Bush supporter from Texas, gave $200,000 to seed the group; and Albert Huddleston, a Texas energy executive who raised money for Bush in 2000, gave $100,000, records show.
Sam Wyly, the wealthy Texas entrepreneur who financed commercials attacking Sen. John McCain in the 2000 Republican primary against Bush, also made the list at $10,000, as did his brother Charles, records show. At least two of the swift boat donors are also listed as Bush Pioneers for having raised at least $100,000 for Bush's re-election.
The swift boat group's disclosure listed only part of the group's contributions -- donors who gave $1,000 or more -- and was required to because the group ran advertisements that necessitate such a filing under new campaign finance laws. The group released additional information in a statement and in interviews, saying that much of its money had come in after its provocative advertisements captured media attention in recent weeks.
"The words 'tidal wave' come to mind," said Mike Russell, a spokesman for the group, who added that "you don't often see that type of grass-roots reaction. People tune things out, but we were able to punch through."
Swift Boat Veterans has spent more than $4.2 million since April, Russell said, mostly on radio and television advertisements. It had about $2.5 million left in the bank this week, he said, leaving the group in a strong position to continue its barrage of attack ads.
Among the donors from Bush's home state was Lawrence Gelman, a physician in McAllen, Texas, who made six contributions of $1,000 each beginning in late August. He said he first heard about the group's campaign amid last month's burst of media stories and decided he wanted to support it.
"This thing about Kerry and his medal, to me, sounded very odd," he said. "As a physician, I understand that for someone to be wounded that many times and not have to be hospitalized sounded very strange. It made me feel better to help people who had what I thought was a legitimate point of view."
Gelman, 52, described himself as conservative politically and said that while he has donated to Bush, he is not a big fan. "To me, he's the lesser of two evils. I'm not thrilled with President Bush, but I think he would be better than Kerry," he said.
He said the counter-attacks on the swift boat group and its veracity have spurred him to make more contributions.
"When someone comes out against them, I get riled up and give another contribution," he said. The group began attacking Kerry's record in Vietnam months ago and launched its commercials in recent weeks which, although their claims have been called into question, have monopolized the presidential race at times.