Obomination: Obama Group Accused of Pay-to-Play

The campaign committee Obama for America has morphed into a ‘nonprofit’ Organizing for Action.  Questions are raised about this new group as OFA also seems to offer donors exclusive access to Obama in exchange for a contribution.  This Obomination is so outrageous that even those on the left are criticizing it.

The New York Times reported that for a donation of $500,000, you join the OFA Advisory Board, which grants you quarterly meetings with Obama.  A “Founders Summit” also brought together OFA donors with former Obama officials in Washington, D.C.  The New York Times, although it wanted to endorse OFA’s ideas, condemned the group as “disturbing” in an editorial called “The White House Joins the Cash Grab.”

As a 501(c)(4), the latest version of OFA is not subject to federal contribution limits, prohibitions on White House officials soliciting contributions, or campaign committee reporting requirements.  But is it really so different from its predecessor that it is a new entity?  The same OFA initials are not the only things Obama for America and ‘nonprofit’ Organizing for Action share. Organizing for Action controls Obama's e-mail list and Twitter account.  There are many ties to the White House with Obama operatives at the helm of OFA. 

Many left-leaning groups have come out against Organizing for Action.  Common Cause President Bob Edgar said, “If President Obama is serious about his often-expressed desire to rein in big money in politics, he should shut down Organizing for Action and disavow any plan to schedule regular meetings with its major donors. Access to the president should never be for sale.” Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21 said, “Organizing for Action is unlike any entity we have ever seen before tied to a president. This group is so tied to Obama himself, that it creates opportunities for corporations and individuals to buy corrupting influence with the administration – and at a minimum, to create the appearance of such influence.” Progressives United’s executive director Cole Leystra said OFA is exactly “what selling access looks like.”