Priorities USA co-founder Bill Burton accused Republican Super PAC donors of only having "parochial," self-interested motives in an interview with Bloomberg Thursday--but said Democratic Super PAC donors like Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg are different.
BRENNAN: Have you ever met Harold Simmons?
BURTON: No, I haven’t, and just looking at those graphics from right before this it seems like he spends time in different circles than I hang out in.
BRENNAN: But he also spent $885,000 to lobby President Obama last year for some of his business interests, so I imagine he was knocking on doors of some of your colleagues there. [laughter] But when you look at some of the money that is being spent this election, from your perspective, how do you think it is changing the race?
BILL BURTON: Well, if you look at the Republican side, you have these donors like Harold Simmons, the Koch brothers, people who have these very parochial, specific interests, where if they can just get their way from the federal government, if they can get something deregulated, if they can get something through a process, they stand to make hundreds of millions, even billions more than they already have. I think that is a common strand you see if you look at the whole set of republican donors to this super pacs. It’s a matter of what can they do to help their own small interests so they can get richer? And it’s, you know, what they’re doing is making a big investment, and they’re hoping to get a big return on it in a Romney administration.
BRENNAN: Sure. But you also have President Obama taking money from Super PACs this time—one of the biggest donors? Jeffrey Katzenberg, people out in Silicon Valley and in Hollywood. What’s the main interest for those donors?
BURTON: Well, I’m glad you bring that up. I think it’s a big difference between Republican and Democratic donors. You mention Jeffrey Katzenberg, and folks around the country, you know, Mr. Katzenberg isn’t going to sell more tickets to "Kung Fu Panda 3," because President Obama gets re-elected. He’s getting involved because there are issues he cares about. And all the donors to our Super PAC are getting involved because they know that the country does better when President Obama is able to enact his vision, and when Democrats are in control. And maybe, you know, if you look at tax policy, some of our wealthy donors are aware there is a much more favorable short-term tax policy if you’re wealthy and the Republicans are elected.
Katzenberg donated $2 million to Priorities USA last year. In addition to his fundraising this cycle, Katzenberg was a bundler for Obama’s 2008 campaign, raising at least $500,000. He and his wife personally gave $352,402 to Democrats in 2008.
In February, Dreamworks announced a $2 billion deal with the Chinese government for the company to build a production studio in Shanghai. The deal came just days after Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met for an extensive meeting with Obama in Washington, a visit that was followed by the Chinese vice president’s trip to Los Angeles to meet with Katzenberg.
A spokeswoman for Katzenberg at the time denied that either Katzenberg or Dreamworks Animation had any discussions with Obama administration officials about the deal with China.