Washington, DC: The campaign of Ralph Nader and Peter Miguel Camejo notes that a report by the Center for Responsive Politics provides reliable data that, among the Nader donors surveyed, Republican donors who are funding George W. Bush are giving more money to the Democrats than to the Nader/Camejo campaign.
The Center for Responsive Politics found only 4% of Nader's funding came from donors who had also given to Republicans. This compares to 25% of Nader's votes in 2000 coming from registered Republicans. These same Republican donors gave more money to Democrats ($66,000), than to Nader ($54,000). See www.crp.org
The Nader/Camejo campaign makes the following additional points:
In addition to one-quarter of Nader's voters in 2000 being registered Republicans, Nader has worked with individual Republicans throughout the course of his career. One donor mentioned by the Center, Jeno Paulucci, the Florida frozen pizza roll magnate, worked with Nader on public interest issues regarding the Mesabi Iron Range, in Minnesota. Other Republicans in this category include Robert Monks (corporate governance) and Ben Stein (investors' rights).
Not only is the 4% of donations a tiny portion of Nader's support, it comes from people who agree with him on the issues and want him to get his message out to the public.
"For too long the Democrats have been falsely claiming that there is an organized Republican funding campaign supporting us. They disseminate this big lie to provide a cover for their dirty tricks. Now the truth is outRepublican support is minimal, less than the percentage of registered Republican voters in 2000," said Nader. It is time for the media to stop reporting the 'Big Lie' and start reporting the truth.