WASHINGTON — Eight political watchdog groups on Wednesday asked John McCain and Barack Obama to disclose more about the fundraising for their presidential campaigns, including new details about fundraisers who “bundle” tens of thousands of dollars.
“For those to whom much private money has been contributed, much is required,” the groups wrote, noting that spending on this year’s election already has topped $1 billion — a record for this point in the campaign.
The groups asked that both candidates, beginning with their Federal Election Commission reports due July 20, disclose the exact dollar amount each bundler has raised for their campaigns so far, as well as for any other political committee that benefits the campaign — including their national political parties.
Individuals may contribute no more than $2,300 per election to a candidate for federal office, including the White House. But many lobbyists and other political activists court the gratitude of politicians by volunteering to collect “bundles” of individual contributions from their friends and business associates, and the campaigns encourage the practice.
