Democratic Party officials say they will not release the names of donors to next month’s political convention before the event, despite an earlier pledge that they would regularly disclose the contributors.

In its marketing materials, the party promises that the “people’s convention,” set to begin Sept. 3 in Charlotte, N.C., will be the “most open and accessible ever.” But the names of donors, some of whom are giving up to $100,000, will remain secret until federal disclosure documents are filed Oct. 15, six weeks after the parties have ended and public attention has shifted to Election Day.


Democrats have made transparency a central theme of the campaign, pushing for legislation requiring groups to disclose donors. In a recent e-mail to supporters, Obama campaign manager Jim Messina asked for signatures on a petition calling for conservative interest groups to reveal the names of contributors.


“They have a vested interest in being able to spend millions anonymously to influence our elections,” Messina wrote.


The Obama campaign and its supporters also have called on Romney to release more tax returns, suggesting that he may be hiding information about his personal finances.


Four years ago, both parties voluntarily listed convention donors online and made regular updates to the information.


Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Responsible Politics, said the decision not to disclose donors until October “just seems to run counter to the message that this is the people’s convention. You’d think transparency would be something celebrated, not reduced.”



http://www.washingtonpost.com/politi...ba8_story.html



Do as I say, not as I do....