Voluntary disclosures by the Obama campaign show that as of late January, Obama's California bundlers had raised at least $17.8 million, compared with just more than $15 million during the 2008 campaign. Seventeen of them have given at least $500,000 this cycle, compared with 12 in 2008.
Bundled contributions are disclosed in dollar ranges, so the precise amount bundlers raised is unclear.
Still, the sharp increase in bundled contributions further suggests that donors' growing comfort with indirect political giving is quickly driving this year's presidential race to be the most expensive in history.
Among the high-profile names on this year's bundling list are DreamWorks executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and Salesforce.com executive Marc Benioff, both of whom bundled at least $500,000 in 2008 before doing the same during this cycle.
Energy executive Steve Spinner also has bundled $500,000 for a second time. After serving as a top fundraiser during Obama's 2008 campaign, he was appointed to a position in the U.S. Department of Energy, where he played a key role in the controversial loan guarantee to solar panel manufacturing company Solyndra, which has since declared bankruptcy.
Other big-name Californians who have bundled for Obama this year include actress Eva Longoria, who has bundled between $250,000 and $500,000; Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel, brother of former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who bundled between $100,000 and $200,000; and former State Controller and gubernatorial candidate Steve Westly, who bundled between $250,00 and $500,000.
Here is a complete list of 2012 California bundlers.
Story courtesy of our media partners at California Watch (A Project of the Center for Investigative Reporting)
