The Bush Pioneers: Key Findings

This report was published in July 2000. It should be considered outdated and is kept online for historical purposes only.

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The Bush Pioneers:
Key Findings

The 212 identified Pioneers have raised a minimum of $21.2 million in hard money for Bush’s presidential effort. These 212 individuals also contributed; $2.3 million to Bush’s gubernatorial campaigns, $7.1 million in hard money to federal candidates and PACs and $4.1 million in soft money contributions to federal political party committees since the ’96 election cycle. [view the biggest contributors]

The top 5 individual money movers among the Pioneers (total federal money since the ’96 election cycle plus money to Bush’s gubernatorial campaigns) are: Alex G. Spanos , $877,450; Sam Fox, $831,733; Kenneth Lay, $574,550; Tom Loeffler, $495,424; and, Louis A. Beecherl, Jr., $446,350.

Among the 212 Pioneers, the top overall contributors to Bush’s gubernatorial campaigns are: Charles J. Wyly, Jr., $210,273; Dennis R. Berman, $175,000; Louis A. Beecherl, Jr., $154,000; Tom Loeffler, $141,000; and, Richard Heath, $124,449. [view the biggest donors to Bush's gubernatorial campaigns]

Eighty-four companies controlled by or employing these 212 individuals contributed an additional $21 million in soft money contributions to political party committees since the ’96 election cycle, $15.5 million to the Republicans, $5.5 million to the Democrats. [view the biggest corporate soft money movers]

Like their companies, 73 of the individual Pioneers also support candidates of both parties. These 73 Pioneers gave Democrats a total of $390,000 in hard and soft money since the ’96 election cycle. The biggest Pioneer givers to Democrats are: Robert Day, Jr., $45,420; Kenneth Lay, $39,000; Randall D. Hubbard, $20,000; Larry Ruvo, $15,000; and Joseph C. Canizaro, $14,750. [view the biggest donors to Democrats]

Lawyers and lobbyists lead the Pioneer pack when the 212 are identified by their primary economic interest or profession. Forty-four of the Pioneers are classified as Lawyers & Lobbyists, 38 represent the Financial sector, 28 are from the Energy & Natural Resources sector (dominated by oil and gas), 24 are from the Real Estate sector, and 23 represent Miscellaneous Businesses. [view the Pioneers per industry group]

Sixty-six of the Pioneers hail from Texas. The other Bush state, Florida, claims the next largest batch with 21. California has produced 14 and Michigan 12. No other state is in the double-digits. [view the number of Pioneers per state]

133 Pioneers are business executives, George Bush appointed 16 Pioneers to state government posts, 14 have spent the night at the Governor’s mansion in Austin, 13 represent polluter interests, 35 have benefited from corporate-welfare, 26 have been involved in one or more campaign finance-related scandals, and 20 Pioneers have kept the revolving door between government and industry spinning. [view Pioneers in these categories]

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