Pete Buttigieg to Open Fundraisers to the Press
By Gene Maddaus
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Pete Buttigieg will open his fundraisers to the press and will release names of his bundlers within a week, the campaign announced on Monday.
Buttigieg made the commitments three after Sen. Elizabeth Warren challenged him to be more transparent about his fundraising.
“From the start, Pete has said it is important for every candidate to be open and honest, and his actions have reflected that commitment,” Buttigieg’s campaign manager Mike Schmuhl said in a statement. “He is the only current presidential candidate who has released the names of people raising money for his campaign, and we will continue to release additional names as more people join our growing effort. Moreover, he will be one of the few candidates to allow reporters access to his fundraising events.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden has allowed a pool reporter to attend his fundraisers since launching his campaign earlier this year. Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders do not hold closed-door fundraisers, instead relying primarily on small-dollar contributions.
With Sen. Kamala Harris no longer in the race, Buttigieg is now the top recipient of Hollywood political donations.
Buttigieg is scheduled to hold fundraisers in Los Angeles next week, in advance of the Democratic primary debate in L.A. on Dec. 19. Buttigieg will attend a breakfast fundraiser in Beverly Hills and an evening fundraiser in West Hollywood on Dec. 17. He is also expected to attend a fundraiser on that date for the Democratic National Committee.
Warren and Buttigieg have been in an escalating fight over transparency over the last several days. The Buttigieg campaign has challenged Warren to release tax returns showing her private sector work. Warren disclosed details of her work on legal cases on Sunday, revealing she was paid $1.9 million over 30 years.
Warren has challenged Buttigieg to disclose details of his work for the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. Buttigieg has asked McKinsey to release him from a non-disclosure agreement covering that work. On Monday, McKinsey allowed Buttigieg to disclose the names of the clients he worked for, though not other confidential information.
Buttigieg has surged into the lead in Iowa over the last month or so, as the Warren campaign has faded, though Biden continues to hold a sizable lead in national polls.
