Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter's latest campaign finance report includes Democratic donors who are among his newest friends and Republicans who demanded and received contributions after he switched parties in late April.
Arlen Specter (Photo by Scott J.
Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly)
Specter reported raising $1.74 million in this year's second quarter, or about eight times the $224,469 that his campaign committee refunded to donors (mostly Republicans who wanted their money back, though some money was refunded to donors who exceeded the contribution limits). Specter's campaign spent $907,000 during the three-month period and began July with $7.6 million cash-on-hand.
One prominent Republican who requested and received a contribution refund was Rob Gleason, the chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, which has even set up a Web site to help Republican donors request refunds.
Other notable Republicans who received refunds from Specter's committee included Ken Mehlman, a former Republican National Committee chairman who managed President George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign; his brother Bruce Mehlman, the executive director of the Technology CEO Council; Barbara Comstock, a Republican political consultant who's running for the Virginia House this year; George Nethercutt, a former U.S. House member from Washington state; Scott W. Reed, who managed Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign; and Dan Meuser, a businessman who lost a 2008 Republican primary in the 10th District of Democratic Rep. Christopher Carney.
Specter made up most of that from the $174,000 his campaign committee collected from Pennsylvania Senate Victory 2010, a joint fundraising committee that Specter campaign manager Chris Nicholas said was established to handle contributions for an upcoming fundraiser with President Obama.
Pennsylvania Senate Victory 2010 shares receipts with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), which is backing Specter as he prepares to defend his seat from vigorous challenges by Rep. Joe Sestak in the Democratic primary and former Rep. Pat Toomey in the general election.
Specter received second-quarter donations from numerous committees linked to Democratic senators, including Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin of Illinois and DSCC chairman Robert Menendez of New Jersey.
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