Obama's Top Campaign Fundraisers in Q4: Will Smith, Eva Longoria, Anna Wintour, Gwen Stefani
The Obama campaign released on Saturday an updated list of bundlers from the fourth quarter of 2012, carrying several big-name fundraisers, including actors Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.
The list of 770 top donors, who brought in between $186.6 million and $268 million, in the fourth quarter of 2012 – a period including the weeks before Election Day – includes nearly 250 campaign "bundlers," or voluntary fundraisers, who raised at least $500,000 each for the president.
Those donors included actors Will and Jada Smith, actress Eva Longoria, actor Wendell Pierce and film producer Harvey Weinstein.
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In late October, Will Smith and his wife hosted a fundraising luncheon at their California home for first lady Michelle Obama, selling out 250 tickets at a minimum $2,500 per plate.
Other top donors included Vogue Magazine Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, business owner and heiress to the Hyatt hotel fortune Penny Pritzker, film mogul Tyler Perry, musician Gwen Stefani, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe.
Wintour and Pritzker are being considered for spots in the Obama administration, according to The Hill.
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker are each in the $200,000 to $500,000 range.
Although federal laws placed limits on the amount an individual could donate to political campaigns and groups, at $2,300, during the 2012 election cycle, bundling is commonly used to show loyalty to a candidate.
The latest list was released voluntarily by the campaign. According to federal guidelines, candidates are required only to disclose fundraising from registered lobbyists.
During the 2008 election, Obama and Sen. John McCain voluntarily disclosed all bundlers who raised more than $50,000. However, in the last election, Republican Mitt Romney chose not to do so.
Obama's re-election campaign raised about $1 billion to defeat Romney.
