SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has raised about $640,000 in private donations to cover part of the costs of his two-day inaugural celebration next month, tapping lobbyists, well-heeled campaign supporters, insurance companies and businesses that depend on state action as part of a fund-raising campaign that is still underway.
The committee staging the governor's inaugural ceremony released a list of 31 private donors Friday afternoon who have purchased either "gold" or "silver" sponsorships that entitle them to preferred seating at the governor's swearing-in, along with tickets to a private luncheon with state lawmakers.
Top-tier donors contributing $50,000 apiece include Chevron and the California Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is the state's top business lobbyist and a close ally of the governor.
Silver-level sponsors gave at least $15,000 each and include Pacific Life and Farmers insurance companies; Cemex, a cement producer that is locked in a dispute with the city of Santa Clarita over a proposed mine; and the Assn. of California Life and Health Insurance Companies, whose members have a stake in the governor's plans to expand access to healthcare.
Because Schwarzenegger is raising the money through a private, tax-exempt group -- not an ordinary campaign fund -- he is free to collect donations of any size. When a politician is running for a specific office, he faces tighter contribution caps and stricter disclosure requirements.
The governor is not legally required to disclose contributors to his inaugural fund but has chosen to do so voluntarily. Still, the list he released Friday offers less information than what is in a state campaign finance report. No addresses or occupations are given for the donors; no contribution dates are listed.
"The governor felt it was important to disclose the sponsors of his inaugural events and also felt it important that the taxpayers not bear the costs," said Julie Soderlund, spokeswoman for the '07 inaugural committee.
Watchdog groups criticized the governor for offering private firms and individuals another opportunity to gain influence in his administration. Schwarzenegger has already collected more than $114 million -- breaking all state fundraising records for a single candidate -- since he entered the recall campaign in 2003.
