LA Times: Democrats Skirt Convention's Ban On Money From Lobbyists, Corporations

The Los Angeles Times reports that Democratic National Convention officials are skirting their own rules set by President Obama that ban corporations and lobbyists from contributing to the convention. The paper reports the strategy suggests that convention officials are having difficulty raising $37 million. That's how much the local DNC host committee has committed to raise. An excerpt from the story: Despite the ban on corporate money, for example, convention officials have encouraged corporate executives to write personal checks, according to sources familiar with the fundraising. And they have suggested that corporations can participate by donating goods and services to the convention, and by giving up to $100,000 through a corporate foundation. They have also quietly explained to lobbyists that while they can't make contributions, they can help raise money from their clients - by soliciting personal checks from executives or in-kind contributions from corporations. Lobbyists who bundle high sums will get perks like premium credentials and hotel rooms. Labor unions, meanwhile, are not specifically prohibited from giving. They provided millions of dollars for the 2008 Democratic convention in Denver.