Here’s Who Funded the Democratic National Convention in Philly
President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton wave together during the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Wednesday, July 27, 2016.
Those who are still wondering who funded the Democratic National Convention in Philly this past July are finally getting some answers.
The Philadelphia 2016 Host Committee for the DNC filed a financial report late Monday that disclosed the four-day event’s donors.
According to the report, the committee raised more than $85 million for the event, far surpassing its goal of $60 million.
So who made it possible?
Pennsylvania’s taxpayers. According to the report, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development gave $10 million.
The City of Philadelphia donated more than $8.6 million through a $43 million U.S. Department of Justice grant that helped cover security costs for the event, city spokeswoman Lauren Hitt told NewsWorks.
Comcast made the third biggest donation of more than $5.6 million, most of which consisted of in-kind contributions of services, staff and advertising as well as reconstruction on the Wells Fargo Center, which the company recently acquired. The corporation’s executive vice president, David Cohen, served as an adviser to the host committee. And Independence Blue Cross, of which host committee finance chairman Daniel Hilferty is president and CEO, gave more than $1.5 million.
Other donors include the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (which gave more than $2 million), PECO ($1.7 million) and Facebook ($1.4 million).
Former Gov. Ed Rendell told NewsWorks that this will be the first Democratic convention in 32 years to not leave a deficit. Rendell also told NewsWorks that the committee is not yet sure how much money is left over nor how the money will be used.
Plus, the committee is required to reimburse a $5 million loan from the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation by the end of the year, and Mayor Jim Kenney’s office told the publication that city taxpayers will be reimbursed for roughly $520,000.
Rendell, who chaired the committee, told the Inquirer that its fundraising efforts were “enormously successful” and “raised the visibility of the city in an extraordinarily positive way.”
Despite multiple right-to-know requests from journalists, the committee refused to release the list of donors until now – a hesitancy that reflected poorly in the eyes of some activists and watchdog groups. When the Office of Open Records ordered the committee to release its quarterly financial reports in June, the committee appealed.
Under federal law, the committee had to release the list 60 days after the convention. Check out the committee’s financial report to see the full list of donors.
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