May, 11 2020, 12:00am EDT
New "Power Map" Preserves Record Of Bundlers and Donors In 2020 Primary
New “Power Map” Preserves Record Of Bundlers And Donors In 2020 Primary
WASHINGTON
The Revolving Door Project launched its new "Presidential Power Map" tool today, which shows holistically how powerful sectors of the U.S. economy funded each of the major 2020 Democratic candidates. By breaking down high-dollar support by sector, this tool encourages users to draw direct lines between big money fundraising and a president's choices regarding personnel and executive power.
As Joe Biden consolidates support and embarks on the transition-planning process, the Power Map provides clues as to which people and sectors might have a seat at the table now and in the future. To further clarify these connections, members of the Revolving Door Project's team have authored a series of pieces that shed light on Joe Biden's ties to important sectors, including Tech, Private Equity, and Real Estate.
The Presidential Power Map also adds new and important context to the contest for the vice presidency, by illustrating which major sectors propelled their campaigns. Several candidates, including some with vice-presidential ambitions and some who likely have aspirations for Cabinet-level appointments, have now removed their lists of disclosed bundlers from campaign websites, making the Power Map an important archive of political influence over prominent Democratic figures.
Each candidate's Power Map displays the names and job titles of major donors and bundlers from significant companies across 25 business sectors. Color-coded data visualizations allow viewers to quickly assess which industries fund which politician. Moreover, a search function and database provide more detail on individual donors and bundlers. The full methodology can be found here, and the RDP team would be happy to walk reporters through the database at their leisure.
Revolving Door Project Executive Director Jeff Hauser said "Corruption and the influence of wealthy donors was a major issue throughout the 2020 primary. It's arguably the defining issue in our politics today. This Power Map tool, for the first time, lets anyone see clearly how the most important sectors of our economy have cultivated financial relationships with prominent members of the Democratic party, including the presumptive presidential nominee. Figures like Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, and Amy Klobuchar won't disappear from our politics anytime soon, so the public deserves to know who is signing and collecting the checks that have sustained their careers."
In the coming weeks, the Power Map tool will be updated with new features for easier cross-referencing of donors and bundlers who contributed to multiple campaigns.
The Revolving Door Project (RDP) scrutinizes executive branch appointees to ensure they use their office to serve the broad public interest, rather than to entrench corporate power or seek personal advancement.
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Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas on Tuesday again blocked the passage of House-approved bipartisan legislation meant to shield journalists and telecommunications companies from being compelled to disclose sources and other information to federal authorities.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) brought the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying (PRESS) Act—which would prohibit the federal government from forcing journalists and telecom companies to disclose certain information, with exceptions for terroristic or violent threats—for a unanimous consent vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) argued Tuesday that passing the PRESS Act is "more important now than ever before when we've heard some in the previous administration talk about going after the press in one way or another," a reference to Republican President-elect Donald Trump's threats to jail journalists who refuse to reveal the sources of leaks. Trump, who has referred to the press as the "enemy of the people," repeatedly urged Senate Republicans to "kill this bill."
Cotton, who blocked a vote on the legislation in December 2022, again objected to the bill, a move that thwarted its speedy passage. The Republican called the legislation a "threat to national security" and "the biggest giveaway to the liberal press in American history."
The advocacy group Defending Rights and Dissent lamented that "Congress has abdicated their responsibility to take substantive steps to protect the constitutional right to a free press."
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"American families are the big winner today, thanks to the Federal Trade Commission. The only people who stood to gain from the potential merger between Albertsons and Kroger were their wealthy executives and investors," asserted Liz Zelnick of Accountable.US. "The rest of us are letting out a huge sigh of relief knowing today's victory is good news for competitive prices and consumer access."
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Trump has picked Harmeet Dhillon as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. She has stated that it must be "made unsafe" for hospitals to provide trans care, and frequently shares Libs of TikTok posts. She intends to target trans people in blue states. Subscribe to support my journalism.
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— Erin Reed (@erininthemorning.com) December 10, 2024 at 8:14 AM
Reed continued:
Dhillon's most prominent work includes founding the Center for American Liberty, a legal organization that focuses heavily on anti-transgender cases in blue states. The organization's "featured cases" section highlights several lawsuits, such as Chloe Cole's case against Kaiser Permanente; a lawsuit challenging a Colorado school's use of a transgender student's preferred name; a case against a California school district seeking to implement policies that would forcibly out transgender students; and a lawsuit against Vermont for denying a foster care license to a family unwilling to comply with nondiscrimination policies regarding transgender youth.
Reed also highlighted Dhillon's attacks on state laws protecting transgender people, as well as her expression of "extreme anti-trans views" on social media—including calling gender-affirming healthcare for trans children "child abuse."
Last year, The Guardian's Jason Wilson reported that the Center for American Liberty made a six-figure payment to a public relations firm that represented Dhillion in both "her capacity as head of her own for-profit law firm and Republican activist."
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