70% of guv privatizing panel = donors

A glance at state campaign finance records shows that the majority of Gov. Corbett's new privatization panel contributed to his campaign coffers during the last election cycle.

While many of the donors forked over smaller $500 or $1,000 checks, the more interesting statistic is that the names of all but seven of the 24 task-force members appear on Corbett's fundraising reports. (That's in a report search for their names only, not including family members or co-workers.)

Those 17 donors appear to have donated at least $234,750 directly in their names, with the largest portion of that - about $103,500 - from Philadelphia GOP mega-donor Bob Asher. Lewisburg businessman John D. Moran Jr., who heads a warehousing and logistics company, is listed as contributing $45,750 and another $38,000 in donated transportation services.

From there the totals drop, with construction firm chairman Andrew J. Sordoni of Forty-Fort listed with contributions totaling $18,000 for the past cycle.

The seven names that couldn't be found on Corbett's finance records are: Commonwealth Foundation president Matt Brouillette, Peter Calcara of the state's Institute of Public Accountants, Pitt executive vice chancellor Jerome Cochran, Gerald Feldman of Bradford Woods, Varsovia Fernandez of the Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, school choice advocate Joe Watkins, and Dennis Yablonsky of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.

While Joe Watkins didn't contribute, he chairs Students First, the pro-vouchers group whose PAC sent Corbett's warchest $27,000. And Asher's PAC, PA Future Fund, also sent signficant dollars to Corbett's gubernatorial efforts.

(Sidenote: the Department of State campaign finance database appears to duplicate some contributions in search results, but if you'd like to pour through them yourself, here's the link.)