Fat Cats Shore up Elizabeth Warren’s PAC

Boston Herald ^

[nickcarraway]

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s PAC has raised tens of thousands of dollars from wealthy Democrats, including a top President Obama donor and a close friend of Hillary Clinton’s — even as the Bay State lawmaker travels the country blasting big business and the super rich.

Among the most recent donors with the deepest pockets who gave to Warren’s PAC for a Level Playing Field, according to its latest federal filing:

• Barbarina Heyerdahl, a Democratic activist in Vermont who has given heavily to President Obama. She gave $5,000 to Warren’s PAC last month; Heyerdahl has donated more than $190,000 to Obama and other Democratic candidates and committees since 2006, federal elections data show;

• Susie Tompkins Buell, a major national Democratic donor and fundraiser who has been referred to as the best friend of potential presidential contender Hillary Clinton. She gave $5,000 to the PAC in May; and

• California billionaire John Tu, co-founder and president of Kingston Technology, and his wife. They each donated $5,000 — the maximum allowed — last month; Tu is listed as No. 110 on Forbes’ list of the richest people in America, with a net worth of $4 billion.

Buell, co-founder of the clothing line Esprit, declined a request to speak with the Herald on the record about her donation or whether she would support a potential president bid by Warren. Tu and Heyerdahl did not return calls seeking comment.

The Massachusetts senior senator has so far denied she will mount a White House run as she crisscrosses the country campaigning for Democratic U.S. Senate candidates.

Warren’s PAC has raised $620,365 since April and has $826,525 cash on hand, records show, and has given to the likes of New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and New Jersey Sen. Corey Booker.

Kerstin Adams, a retiree from Oregon, said she gave $5,000 to Warren’s PAC in April in support of a possible Warren presidential run. Adams, who said she’s never met Warren, donated to her Senate campaign several years ago because she was impressed with her stance on financial issues.

“Yes, I would support Elizabeth Warren for president,” Adams said. “I would certainly vote for her. I can’t think of anyone else I would vote for.”

Meanwhile, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which bills itself as the “Elizabeth Warren Wing” of the Democratic Party, claims it raised more than $1 million since January 2013, although data on their latest quarterly filing wasn’t available on the Federal Election Commission website last night.

[MplsSteve]

I know that Mass. is really politically out there - but my god, how could Scott Brown actually have lost to this woman?!

He must have run one hell of a terrible re-election campaign.