LoungeMachine
10-02-2007, 07:29 PM
October 1, 2007,
Giuliani Dogged by California Issue
By Marc Santora
Rudolph W. Giuliani’s campaign faced renewed questions on Monday over the role a top fundraiser played in a failed attempt to change the way electoral votes are apportioned in California. This time, a group opposed to changing the current rules called for a formal inquiry by the Federal Election Commission.
Mr. Giuliani himself has said his campaign had nothing to do with the effort to change California’s system of doling out electoral votes. But the sole donor to the group advocating the change, Take Initiative America, was a top Giuliani policy adviser and fundraiser, Paul Singer. He gave the group some $175,000.
If ballot proposal succeeded, roughly 20 electoral votes would have gone automatically to a Republican candidate who would otherwise presumably lose the entire state, which could be critical in a close election.
The proposal has already fallen apart, with even Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger calling it “odd” and reflecting a loser’s mentality.
But when it was revealed that Mr. Singer had played a key role in the effort, Democrats stepped up their accusations that the Giuliani campaign was somehow involved.
Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, released a statement Monday hoping to keep attention on the issue.
“Why wasn’t Paul Singer’s involvement in this dirty trick aimed at stealing the White House previously disclosed?” he said. “Given his role in the Giuliani campaign, voters deserve to know the truth about Rudy’s involvement in and knowledge about this shameful effort to disenfranchise voters.”
Additionally, a group called Californians for a Fair Election, which opposed the ballot initiative, called for a formal investigation by the Federal Election Commission and Justice Department during a press conference in San Francisco on Monday.
The campaign repeated their earlier denials of having anything to do with the California effort and dismissed the attacks on their campaign as purely partisan.
Giuliani Dogged by California Issue
By Marc Santora
Rudolph W. Giuliani’s campaign faced renewed questions on Monday over the role a top fundraiser played in a failed attempt to change the way electoral votes are apportioned in California. This time, a group opposed to changing the current rules called for a formal inquiry by the Federal Election Commission.
Mr. Giuliani himself has said his campaign had nothing to do with the effort to change California’s system of doling out electoral votes. But the sole donor to the group advocating the change, Take Initiative America, was a top Giuliani policy adviser and fundraiser, Paul Singer. He gave the group some $175,000.
If ballot proposal succeeded, roughly 20 electoral votes would have gone automatically to a Republican candidate who would otherwise presumably lose the entire state, which could be critical in a close election.
The proposal has already fallen apart, with even Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger calling it “odd” and reflecting a loser’s mentality.
But when it was revealed that Mr. Singer had played a key role in the effort, Democrats stepped up their accusations that the Giuliani campaign was somehow involved.
Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, released a statement Monday hoping to keep attention on the issue.
“Why wasn’t Paul Singer’s involvement in this dirty trick aimed at stealing the White House previously disclosed?” he said. “Given his role in the Giuliani campaign, voters deserve to know the truth about Rudy’s involvement in and knowledge about this shameful effort to disenfranchise voters.”
Additionally, a group called Californians for a Fair Election, which opposed the ballot initiative, called for a formal investigation by the Federal Election Commission and Justice Department during a press conference in San Francisco on Monday.
The campaign repeated their earlier denials of having anything to do with the California effort and dismissed the attacks on their campaign as purely partisan.