CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Shortly after last year's high-profile announcement that the
2012 Democratic National Convention would be the first in history not to
rely on special-interest money, organizers in Charlotte quietly set up a
nonprofit entity to rake in corporate cash.
Bank
of America, Wells Fargo and Duke Energy have all sent checks to New
American City Inc., a non-profit entity being run by top officials on
the convention host committee. Corporate money is bankrolling operations
in direct support of the convention, including paying the salaries of
the 41 full-time host committee employees, their health insurance and
for the offices where they work.
Corporate
money is also paying for parties for Democratic delegates and donors,
the media welcome bash and the Labor Day street festival kicking-off the
week's events. Corporate supporters will also provide transportation
for convention delegates, including buses and a fleet of courtesy cars.
Convention
organizers said last week they are keeping true to the self-imposed ban
because none of the corporate money will be spent on events inside the
sports arena and stadium where President Barack Obama will accept his
party's nomination for a second term.
"I guess
it comes down to how you define `the convention,'" said Dan Murrey, the
executive director of the host committee, Charlotte in 2012. "The
distinction we've drawn is that there are official convention activities
that are in the program, that are gavel-to-gavel, have minutes, the
whole bit. And then there is all the stuff that happens outside of
that."
The amounts and sources of the
corporate donations to New American City are being kept secret until
well after the September convention is over, though a few companies have
confirmed they are providing support.
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