Obama Transition Releases Private Donor List

T.W. Farnam reports on politics. President-elect Barack Obama ’s transition office has released a list of private donors who have contributed $1.2 million to supplement public funding for the office. The list, which covers through Nov. 15 and will be updated monthly, includes many of the top fund-raisers to his presidential campaign. In all, 1,776 people contributed an average of $659 each, with 131 people giving the maximum $5,000 donation. Although fund-raising was reported to have begun before the election, Obama’s campaign manager recently solicited those on the campaign’s multimillion member email list. Five people with the last name Sandler living in San Francisco gave $5,000 each, including Herb and Marion Sandler , the philanthropists and former owners of mortgage company Golden West Financial. Anthony Welters , an executive vice president at the UnitedHealth Group, gave $5,000 along with his wife, Beatrice , and Andrew and Bryant Welters , who are both students, ... (link)