The Rainmakers: California's top political donors, 2001-2011
Lavishing their largesse on legislators and political committees alike, the largest donors to California politics spent $1.25 billion from 2001 through 2011. The group — 50 special interests and 50 wealthy individuals — spans the Golden State's social order. They are corporate leaders and venture capitalists, real estate developers and Hollywood scions. They are energy and tobacco companies, labor unions and tribal governments. Collectively, they shelled out a third of all the money given to campaigns in the state during the 11-year period. This data includes only contributions to candidates and ballot measure committees, not independent expenditure groups.
Michele Singer Reiner, Beverly Hills, CA
Badges
-
Underdogwhat's this? -
Mad Propswhat's this?
Win/loss percentage
$26,400 to winners, $1,300,000 to losers
Michele Singer Reiner is a photographer, producer and social activist. In 1989, she married filmmaker Rob Reiner. In 1997, the couple started the Parents’ Action for Children foundation, which seeks to raise public awareness about the importance of prenatal care in children’s development. She worked with Newsweek to produce an issue on early-childhood development and produced a prime-time ABC special. She serves as treasurer of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which is sponsoring a federal court challenge to Proposition 8. The measure, which voters passed in 2008, banned gay marriage in California.
Total contributions: $1,326,400
List of contributions
Source: Contribution data from National Institute on Money in State Politics
Credits: Interactive by Michael Corey, Coulter Jones and Chase Davis. Reporting by Coulter Jones. Badge design by Thomas Guffey. Additional reporting by Stanford University students enrolled in a Communications Department investigative reporting class under the direction of California Watch Editorial Director Mark Katches. The project began in January 2011. Students participating were: Devin Banerjee, Daniel Bohm, Kathleen Chaykowski, Tom Corrigan, Cassandra Feliciano, Jamie Hansen, Amy Harris, Josh Hicks, Ellen Huet, Julia James, Paul Jones, Ryan Mac, Valentina Nesci, Dean Schaffer, Elizabeth Titus and Kareem Yasin. Bohm, Hansen, Huet, Harris and Titus continued to work on the project as California Watch interns under the direction of Associate Editor Denise Zapata.
Produced by
With data collected by
Photos provided by
