A top fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg offered a donor the chance to 'get on the campaign's radar' in exchange for money

Advertisement
A top fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg offered a donor the chance to 'get on the campaign's radar' in exchange for money
pete buttigieg
  • Mayor Pete Buttigieg is under fire again for his campaign's fundraising practices.
  • A top fundraiser for Buttigieg's campaign appeared to sell access to the campaign in an email to a potential donor, according to a Monday Axios report.
  • "If you want to get on the campaign's radar now before he is flooded with donations after winning Iowa and New Hampshire, you can use the link below for donations," the bundler wrote to a potential donor.
  • Buttigieg's campaign attempted to distance itself from Park's email, but insisted the offer was nothing more than a standard donor recruiting tactic.
  • This comes just days after Buttigieg endured sustained attacks from his 2020 Democratic rivals for hosting an extravagant campaign fundraiser for wealthy donors in a wine cave in Napa Valley, California.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg is under fire again for his campaign's fundraising strategy.

Advertisement

A top fundraiser to Buttigieg's campaign, Washington consultant H.K. Park, told a potential donor in an email that they should give money to the campaign in order to get on its "radar," appearing to sell access to the candidate.

"If you want to get on the campaign's radar now before he is flooded with donations after winning Iowa and New Hampshire, you can use the link below for donations," Park wrote to an unnamed donor.

The donor, who spoke with Axios and requested anonymity, characterized Park's offer as "pay-for-play."

"It's very telling and concerning that one of the campaign's major bundlers would talk like that," the donor said.

Advertisement

Buttigieg's campaign attempted to distance itself from Park's email, but simultaneously insisted the offer was nothing more than a standard donor recruiting tactic.

"The campaign did not see or authorize the language in this email," Sean Savett, a campaign spokesman, told Axios. "But it is ridiculous to interpret it as anything more than asking potential supporters who may be interested in Pete to join our campaign before caucusing and voting begins."

This comes just days after Buttigieg endured sustained attacks from his 2020 Democratic rivals for hosting an extravagent campaign fundraiser for wealthy donors in a wine cave in Napa Valley, California.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren zeroed in on Buttigieg's fundraising practices during last week's debate, taking the opportunity to contrast his willingness to take large donations and host private fundraisers with her pledge to banish big money from her campaign. Following much criticism, Buttigieg recently opened his private fundraisers to the media and promised to disclose the names of his donors.

{{}}