Gay for Pay

State Beacon Published May 9, 2012 Reviewed Jul 2, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors

At least half a dozen major gay and progressive donors told Paul Yandura they would not donate to the Obama SuperPAC because of the president’s refusal to sign the order.

at least 6 · major gay and progressive donors Paul Yandura, political adviser to Democratic donor Jonathan Lewis

President Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage less than 48 hours after the Washington Post reported that prominent political donors were threatening to withhold donations over his position on gay rights.

Leading gay and progressive donors were refusing to donate to Priorities USA, the pro-Obama Super PAC, due to the president’s position on same-sex marriage.

In February, President Obama publicly renounced his opposition to Democratic Super PACs such as Priorities USA.

Four years before the article (i.e., in 2008), Obama became the first presidential candidate in history to reject public campaign financing.

President Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage less than 48 hours after the Washington Post reported that prominent political donors were threatening to withhold donations.

less than 48 hours · time between report and announcement Washington Post, organisation

Paul Yandura, a political adviser to Jonathan Lewis, stated that some high-dollar donation requests were in the seven digits and at least half a dozen major gay and progressive donors were refusing to donate to the Obama SuperPAC.

7 digits · high-dollar asksat least 6 · major gay and progressive donors Paul Yandura, political adviser to prominent Democratic donor Jonathan Lewis

The Washington Post noted on Tuesday that roughly 20 percent of Obama's top campaign bundlers, who are responsible for arranging $500,000 and up, publicly identified themselves as gay.

about 20 percent · Obama top campaign bundlers publicly identified as gayat least 500000 USD · amount arranged by top campaign bundlers Washington Post, organisation

Jon Cooper, an Obama bundler, stated that the president's announcement will make fundraising for the re-election campaign "immeasurably easier."

1 · Obama bundler Jon Cooper, Obama bundler

The Washington Post reported that President Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage less than 48 hours after their report on donors threatening to withhold donations.

less than 48 hours · time between report and announcement The Washington Post, news organisation

Paul Yandura stated that some high-dollar asks for donations were in the seven digits and that at least half a dozen major gay and progressive donors stood united with them.

at least 1000000 $ · high-dollar asksat least 6 · major gay and progressive donors Paul Yandura, political adviser to prominent Democratic donor Jonathan Lewis

The Washington Post noted that roughly 20 percent of Obama's top campaign bundlers publicly identified as gay, and these bundlers are responsible for arranging $500,000 and up.

about 20 percent · Obama top campaign bundlers publicly identified as gayat least 500000 $ · amount arranged by campaign bundlers The Washington Post, news organisation

Some donation requests to the Obama Super PAC were in the seven digits.

One Obama bundler, Jon Cooper, said the president's announcement on same-sex marriage will make fundraising for the re-election campaign "immeasurably easier."

President Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage less than 48 hours after the Washington Post reported that prominent political donors were threatening to withhold donations over the president’s position on gay rights.

"[A]t a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married," Obama told ABC News in an interview.

Left-wing blogger Greg Sargent reported on Monday that "leading gay and progressive donors" were angry with Obama over his increasingly convoluted position on gay rights and same-sex marriage, and were refusing to donate any more money to Priorities USA, the pro-Obama Super PAC. Sargent cited Paul Yandura, a political adviser to prominent Democratic donor Jonathan Lewis, who emailed that:

A number of gay and progressive donors, unsolicited, have indicated to us that they aren’t considering requests to donate to the Obama SuperPac because of the president’s refusal to the sign the order. And those are high-dollar asks, some in the seven digits. We have heard from at least half a dozen major gay and progressive donors that they stand united with us.

The Washington Post noted on Tuesday that roughly 20 percent of Obama top campaign bundlers—who are responsible for arranging $500,000 and up—"publicly identified themselves as gay."

Obama’s announcement fits a pattern of changing positions on major issues for what appear to be financially motivated reasons.

The president in February publicly renounced his opposition to Democratic Super PACs such as Priorities USA, groups capable of raising large amount of money from anonymous sources.

Obama had previously denounced Super PACs as "shadowy groups with harmless sounding names" that pose "a threat to our democracy" because they allow wealthy donors outsized influence on the political process.

Four years ago, Obama became the first presidential candidate in history to reject public campaign financing, despite pledges he would not do so.

UPDATE: The liberal Talking Points Memo reports that one Obama bundler, Jon Cooper, said the president's announcement will make fundraising for the re-election campaign "immeasurably easier."

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