By Tim Collins
In the world of politics, the best way to understand a candidate’s potential policy is to look who donated most to their campaign. Mitt Romney has remained mum on his taxes and now his VP pick, Paul Ryan, is following his lead. A growing number of conservatives have been urging Romney to release his tax information. These conservatives are looking to sink any attacks from the Obama campaign regarding large sums on money in foreign banks. Romney has continued to fight against the release of his tax information.
President Obama’s campaign has released attack ads pointing out that the President has released all of tax information for the general public. In the age of Occupy, Romney’s refusal could cost him dearly.
We haven’t been able to access Governor Romney’s tax info, but we have accessed his top campaign donors. Much of Romney’s campaign money has been raised by Super PACS including Carl Rove’s Crossroads GPS. The top industries to donate to Mitt Romney are Securities and Investment, Lawyers and Law Firms, Real Estate, and Oil and Gas. The retirement industry is the largest contributor donating a whopping $19,931,535.
His top contributors are :
| Goldman Sachs | $636,080 |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co | $502,874 |
| Morgan Stanley | $476,300 |
| Bank of America | $465,850 |
| Credit Suisse Group | $421,310 |
| Citigroup Inc | $345,265 |
| Barclays | $322,400 |
| Kirkland & Ellis | $295,042 |
| Wells Fargo | $276,700 |
| Deloitte LLP | $250,510 |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers | $246,700 |
| UBS AG | $240,000 |
| HIG Capital | $219,495 |
| Blackstone Group | $213,800 |
| Bain Capital | $164,000 |
| Elliott Management | $162,825 |
| General Electric | $150,000 |
| Marriott International | $137,827 |
| Bain & Co | $137,300 |
| Ernst & Young | $134,425 |
(Center for Responsive Politics)
Those are a lot of bankers backing his presidential run!
There is no doubt that Romney has been able to out fundraise the President.
Now let’s take a look at Paul Ryan.
Ryan’s election data comes from his Congressional run.
Paul Ryan was Budget Chairman and part of the Congressional Ways and Means Committee. His budget proposal drew the ire of the left as it sought to cut entitlements and raise defence spending.
Here is a look at who helped Paul Ryan get to Congress.
His top donors differ little from Governor Romney’s these include Retired, Securities and Investment, Insurance, Real Estate, and Medical Professionals.
His top donor list goes like this:
| Rank | Contributor | Hires lobbyists? | Lobbying firm?* | Lobbyist(s) give to member? |
Total | Indivs | PACs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elliott Management |  |
$35,000 | $35,000 | $0 | ||
| 2 | UBS AG | |
$23,700 | $3,700 | $20,000 | ||
| 3 | Abbott Laboratories | |
 |
$21,750 | $5,250 | $16,500 | |
| 4 | Northwestern Mutual | |
$21,250 | $7,750 | $13,500 | ||
| 5 | Home Depot | |
|
$20,250 | $250 | $20,000 | |
| 6 | AT&T Inc | |
|
$20,000 | $0 | $20,000 | |
| 6 | American Greetings Corp | $20,000 | $20,000 | $0 | |||
| 6 | OSI Restaurant Partners | |
$20,000 | $0 | $20,000 | ||
| 9 | Baker Tilly | $19,250 | $19,250 | $0 | |||
| 10 | Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance | |
|
$19,000 | $0 | $19,000 | |
| 11 | Goldman Sachs | |
|
$17,750 | $17,750 | $0 | |
| 12 | PricewaterhouseCoopers | |
 |
|
$17,250 | $2,250 | $15,000 |
| 13 | Research Affiliates LLC | $15,000 | $15,000 | $0 | |||
| 13 | Koch Industries | |
|
$15,000 | $0 | $15,000 | |
| 13 | Publix Super Markets | |
$15,000 | $0 | $15,000 | ||
| 13 | Bacardi Ltd | |
$15,000 | $15,000 | $0 | ||
| 13 | American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons | |
$15,000 | $0 | $15,000 | ||
| 13 | Medco Health Solutions | |
|
$15,000 | $0 | $15,000 | |
| 19 | Bank of America | |
$14,950 | $2,450 | $12,500 | ||
| 20 | Blue Cross/Blue Shield | |
|
$14,500 | $0 | $14,500 |
*registrants, or active lobbying firm
This table lists the top donors to this candidate in the 2011-2012 election cycle. The organizations themselves did not donate, rather the money came from the organizations’ PACs, their individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals’ immediate families. Organization totals include subsidiaries and affiliates. (Center for Responsive Politics)
Again, not too different from Governor Romney’s top donors.
Our intention is not to attack the GOP candidates, but to help American’s make a better educated decision. Tomorrow we will be publishing content on President Obama and VP Joe Biden.
We believe that top donors and fund raisers for politicians often help shape the policies that an administration might adopt. These donors often come knocking looking for favors from the administration.
While Mitt Romney may be for capitalism, we are concerned that he might support crony capitalism, the very thing that has destroyed our economy. He seems hell bent on going to war with Russia and other foreign entities irregardless of whether or not they pose a threat.
Romney is the perfect foreign bankster puppet.
Tomorrow, we will expose President Obama’s top donors and you might be surprised by what you see.
Related articles
- How Mitt Romney’s choice of Paul Ryan has reshaped presidential campaign – Washington Post (washingtonpost.com)
- Paul Ryan teary in Wisconsin return (suntimes.com)
- In Major Gaffe Paul Ryan Says He Wants to Eliminate Romney’s Tax Shelters (politicususa.com)
- Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan Full Interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes – 8/12/12 (uneditedpolitics.com)
- US election 2012: Paul Ryan reinvigorates Mitt Romney in North Carolina (telegraph.co.uk)
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