Subject: [big campaign] Backgrounder: John McCain and Gambling
From: David Miller <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:44:07 -0400
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

Also posted online at: http://www.campaignmoney.org/mccaingambling.

A CAMPAIGN MONEY WATCH BACKGROUNDER

THE BACKGROUND

This past Sunday, The New York Times reported at length on Sen. John
McCain¹s close ties to the gambling industry. The story detailed the dozens
of gambling lobbyists on McCain¹s staff and the vast sums that industry has
given the candidate over the years.

But McCain¹s ties to the gambling industry are deeper than The New York
Times reported. He has not only raised almost a million dollars from the
sector since 1989  almost all of which has come from major gambling states
like Nevada and Connecticut  but also has allowed gambling executives to
play a prominent role on his staff. Thirty-two federal gambling lobbyists,
and many more state lobbyists, currently serve as staffers or fundraisers on
McCain¹s campaign.

With gambling issues at the fore in numerous states in recent years, voters
deserve a closer look at the compromised interests of one of the leading
presidential candidates.

THE FACTS

* Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has raised $951,502 from gambling interests since
1989.(1) 

* Of that nearly one million dollars, $760,137 has come from gambling
interests located in Nevada.  The next largest state contributors are
Connecticut ($50,175), Arizona ($31,940), and California ($21,350), all
three of which have large Indian gambling sectors.

* Leading Nevada gambling executives, including the Las Vegas Sands¹ Sheldon
Adelson and Wynn Resorts¹ Stephen Wynn, have bundled hundreds of thousands
of dollars for the McCain campaign.

* Thirty-two federal gambling lobbyists currently serve as staffers or
fundraisers for the McCain campaignThe above is only a snapshot of John
McCain¹s ties to the gambling industry.

For more detailed information, please call David Miller at (202) 448-6154.

(1) Campaign finance and lobbying figures are based on Campaign Money Watch
analysis of data obtained from the Center for Responsive Politics, a
non-partisan organization that tracks and codes campaign finance data by
industry and tracks lobbying. Campaign finance data include individual
contributions ($200+) and from Political Action Committees (PACs) to
campaign committees and leadership PACs. Data for the 2008 cycle were
downloaded in September 2008.

-- 
David Miller
Communications/Web Manager
Public Campaign Action Fund/Campaign Money Watch
1828 L St. NW #250
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 448-6154

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