Special Interests Billboard
Who has given the most to Arnold? Who's in the $21,200 club? ArnoldWatch tracks the special interest money flowing into Governor Schwarzenegger's campaign coffers — and what those donors want in return.
Governor Schwarzenegger pledged to reject special interest money. Instead, he raised record amounts from the very industries he promised to reform. Consumer Watchdog tracked Schwarzenegger's top donors throughout his administration, documenting the relationship between contributions and favorable policy decisions.
Key industries represented among Schwarzenegger's top donors included: finance and banking, real estate, energy and utilities, pharmaceutical companies, auto dealers, tobacco companies, and the California Chamber of Commerce.
Above-the-legal-limit contribution on December 17, 2003, the day of a Sacramento fundraiser. Consumer Watchdog called on Schwarzenegger to return the contribution. Mercury Insurance CEO George Joseph was a leading foe of Proposition 103, California's auto insurance reform law.
Total special interest contributions accepted by Schwarzenegger despite his campaign pledge that he "didn't need to take money from anybody." Consumer Watchdog documented the contributions and tracked resulting policy favors.
ArnoldWatch tracked ChevronTexaco's major investment in California Republican politics during the Schwarzenegger administration.
The California Chamber of Commerce sponsored Schwarzenegger's 2,000-person inaugural lunch on November 17, 2003 — before he had taken a single action as governor.
For current Consumer Watchdog campaign finance tracking, visit ConsumerWatchdog.org.