It may be months before Gov. Nathan Deal’s inaugural staff details what they raised for next week’s second-term swearing in and related events.
But some special interests are already declaring what they donated in end-of-the-year campaign reports.
About $86,000 worth of inauguration donations turned up in those reports, a likely drop in the bucket of what Deal’s inauguration committee has and will raise for the events.
Deal raised more than $1.7 million for his inauguration and transition when he won his first term in 2010, with more than half the donors being affiliated with lobbyists. Many of those same interests gave to inaugurations of past governors.
This time around, like last time, those reporting included mostly the statehouse crowd.
The trial lawyers lobby reported contributing $20,000 the week before Christmas. The business lobby, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, chipped in $10,000, as did the dentists’ lobby and Hospital Corporation of America. The bank lobby gave $7,500, teacher and convenience store lobbies $2,500.
United Health Services, the big nursing home company that traditionally gives major money to the campaigns of incumbent governors, reported giving $5,000. One of the most prominent lobbying firms at the statehouse, McGuireWoods, contributed $5,000. So did a political action committee started to push a ballot question allowing private companies to take over running public college dorms in Georgia. The PAC was created by McGuireWoods lobbyists.
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