DNC funds deadline blown

But host panel cites 'rock solid' donor promises

By David Montero, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Originally published 12:30 a.m., March 18, 2008
Updated 06:03 a.m., March 18, 2008

The committee charged with raising money to put on the Democratic National Convention in August is about $5 million short of the goal it was supposed to reach Monday.

This is the second time the Denver 2008 Host Committee has not met a fundraising deadline since the city was awarded the convention early last year.

But officials with the committee said they have about $23 million in the bank and commitments from donors that will bring them "way above" the $28 million mark required by their contract with the Democratic National Convention Committee.

"They are solid, solid commitments," Host Committee spokesman Chris Lopez said. "We wouldn't have put the $28 million figure out there if they weren't rock solid."

The Host Committee is under contract with the DNCC to raise $40.6 million by June 16, and failing to meet the deadlines technically puts the committee in violation of the contract.

DNCC officials refused to comment on the fundraising shortfall, just as they didn't comment when the Host Committee met its $15 million goal in December.

Mayor John Hickenlooper, who has been traversing the country raising money for the convention, scheduled Aug. 25-28, said fundraising has been difficult because the Democrats haven't yet secured a nominee, thus putting the focus on the drawn-out primary battle instead of on Denver.

Barack Obama holds a 133-delegate lead over Hillary Clinton heading into the April 22 primary in Pennsylvania, according to the Web site Real Clear Politics.

"The primary is still going on, and that has distracted a lot of individual donors," Hickenlooper said.

"It also means a lot of corporate sponsors have either their own budgets and schedules, and those don't necessarily coincide with our timelines."

Host Committee officials, while confident they'll get that $28 million, have expressed other concerns about fundraising.

While the contract is for $40.6 million, Lopez has said the committee actually thinks it will need between $45 million and $50 million to avoid red ink.

The committee has been aggressively seeking donors from varying economic tiers, including having 45 members in its Summit Club - donors made up of small businesses from across the Denver area and Colorado.

They've also secured 41 donors from around the country since the last fundraising deadline.