WASHINGTON — Fueled by money from Hollywood, unions and wealthy executives, the largest independent groups raising money to defeat President Bush in November collected more than $20 million in the first quarter of 2004, according to records released by the IRS.
The groups, set up by Democratic insiders and known as 527s because of the tax code that governs them, have collected about $37 million since last year. But they are still far short of their goal, now estimated at $145 million.
A group of three interconnected 527s -- America Coming Together, the Media Fund and Joint Victory Campaign 2004 -- have collected about $20 million this year to spend on the November elections. The groups have been spending millions of dollars on television advertising in the 17 battleground states where the race for president is expected to be toughest.
Among the big givers to the Joint Victory Campaign 2004, the fundraising arm for the Media Fund and America Coming Together, were producers Steve Bing and Marcy Carsey, as well as Paul Newman and Norman Lear.
Bing topped all the Hollywood donors with a contribution of $5 million. Carsey gave $1 million. Newman ponied up $50,000, Lear gave $20,000 and Kevin Bacon contributed $15,000, IRS records show.
Other big-money contributors to Democratic 527s include Slim-Fast President S. Daniel Abraham and Boar's Head Chairman Frank Brunckhorst, each of whom gave half a million dollars; Cleveland insurance billionaire Peter B. Lewis, who gave $2 million in February (in addition to the $3 million he gave last year); Orange County investor Anne Catherine Getty Earhart, who gave $1 million; San Francisco activist Susie Tompkins Buell, who gave $1 million; and Chicago Newsweb Corp. President Fred Eychaner, who gave half a million.
"We've raised the money as we need to spend it," said Jim Jordan, spokesman for the three 527s. "We feel pleased and confident about our fundraising. We've been right on track."
Although Media Fund President Harold M. Ickes said in February that he hoped to raise $75 million for his group, spokeswoman Sarah Leonard said Monday that it now had a $50-million goal. America Coming Together hopes to raise an additional $95 million. (Much of the money is collected through Joint Victory Campaign 2004, which then divides it between the other two 527s).
Leonard said that America Coming Together already had commitments of $58 million.
