Orange County Register (California)
That warm glow you feel is from former donors to Democrats making nice with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Schwarzenegger has collected more than $1 million since his election Oct. 7, much of it from donors who had supported ousted Gov. Gray Davis. Some donors who already gave the maximum, $21,200, to his campaign committee donated to his inaugural committee and his Total Recall committee, which can accept unlimited donations.
Orange-based Ameriquest Capital Corp. had given $100,000 to Taxpayers Against the Recall last summer. Last week Ameriquest gave $100,000 to Schwarzenegger’s Total Recall committee, and Ameriquest co-chairpersons Roland E. and Dawn Arnall each gave the legal maximum to Schwarzenegger’s campaign committee.
Los Angeles developer Edward P. Roski Jr., one of Davis’ biggest donors in 2002, gave $100,000 to Schwarzenegger.
The governor also got $100,000 from insurance giant American International Group. AIG is a leading workers’ compensation insurer — the subject of one of the three special legislative sessions that Schwarzenegger called this week.
The donation upset a consumer group, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which highlighted the donation on its new ”ArnoldWatch” Web site.
————
Ronald Campbell – The Register – (714) 796-5030 or [email protected]
