Presidential Election: 12 Top Tech Execs Bundling For The Candidates

Show Me The Money

Bundlers work behind the scenes raising hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars for the presidential candidates, "bundling" contributions from friends, family and associates and giving them to the candidate. Given the high cost and importance of television advertising in presidential politics, these bundlers are kingmakers of sorts. As part of a look at tech money in politics, CRN looked at the technology entrepreneurs and executives that are fundraising for both President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Based on data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, here's a list of 12 technology executives that are bundling funds for the candidates.

For a closer look at how companies are playing the political game, see a preview of our exclusive report, "5 Companies Milking The Stimulus." The full article is available exclusively on the CRN Tech News app, available now in the Apple App Store.

12. Cathy Tripodi

Senior Advisor
FaegreBD Consulting
Bundles For: Mitt Romney
Amount: $27,000

Tripodi had bundled $27,000 for the Romney campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Tripodi is one of the members of the consulting company's energy, climate and advisory team. She was previously a member of the U.S. Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Tripodi has lobbied on behalf of Abound Solar, which was awarded a $400 million loan guarantee and filed for bankruptcy protection in July.

11. John Frank

VP and Deputy General Counsel
Microsoft
Bundles For: Barack Obama
Amount: $96,356

Frank has bundled $96,356 for the 2012 campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Frank was also listed as one of the bundlers that was a guest of the White House at the March 14, 2012, state dinner honoring British Prime Minister David Cameron for which the entertainment for the evening included Mumford & Sons and John Legend.

10. Marissa Mayer

CEO
Yahoo
Bundles For: Barack Obama
Amount: $242,390

Mayer, who spent 13 years at Google before taking the top Yahoo job in July 2012, has bundled $242,390 in contributions for the Obama campaign. Mayer was considered one of the brightest at Google and had a huge influence on the company's search business. Mayer held a fundraiser for Obama at her house in 2010.

9. Edward Ingle

Managing Director Government Affairs
Microsoft
Bundles For: Mitt Romney
Amount: $252,460

Ingle has bundled $252,460 for the 2012 Romney campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Ingle was deputy assistant to President George W. Bush from January 2001 to June 2003, according to his LinkedIn Profile. In addition, he was a budget analyst for President Ronald Reagan from May 1985 to April 1989.

8. Brian Lee

Co-founder
LegalZoom.com
Bundles For: Barack Obama
Amount: $301,966

Lee, who co-founded LegalZoom.com, an online legal do-it-yourself documentation site for small businesses and consumers, with, among others, renowned defense attorney Robert Shapiro, part of the defense team that successfully defended O.J. Simpson, has bundled $301,966 in contributions for the Obama campaign.

7. Tom Carnahan

Founder
Wind Capital Group
Bundles For: Barack Obama
Amount: $389,055

Carnahan, a builder of wind farms in the Midwest, bundled $389,055 in contributions for the Obama campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Carnahan is touted on Wikipedia as the developer of the first wind-powered city in America in 2008. He resigned from Wind Capital in January 2012, but not before Wind Capital received key tax credits under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

6. Steve Westly

Founder/Managing Partner
The Westly Group
Bundles For: Barack Obama
Amount: $438,700

Westly, who has led a clean energy charge at The Westly Group that has benefited from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, has bundled $438,700 in contributions for the Obama campaign. Westly, who made an unsuccessful bid for Governor of California, acted as a "representative for the venture capital industry" on Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu's advisory board.

5. Frank White, Jr.

Technology Entrepreneur
Bundles For: Barack Obama
Amount: $447,778

White, a technology entrepreneur, has bundled $447,778 for the Obama campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. White was the founder of Advanced Concepts Inc., a Columbia, Md.-based IT services supplier to the federal government and private industry, which was sold to L-1 Identity Solutions Inc. in 2007.

4. Suzi Levine

Education Team Director
Microsoft
Bundles For: Barack Obama
Amount: $575,528

Levine has bundled $575,528 for the Obama campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. On her MSDN profile, Levine calls herself a "mom, community organizer and former Expedia executive." Levine was one of a number of bundlers listed on the White House guest list for the March 14, 2012, state dinner honoring British Prime Minister David Cameron.

3. Terry McAuliffe

Chairman
Greentech Automotive
Bundles For: Barack Obama
Amount: $581,050

McAuliffe has bundled $581,050 in contributions for the Obama campaign. Greentech Automotive trumpeted its MyCar, a two-seat, all-electric vehicle, in a public showing that included former President Bill Clinton and former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. At only 22, McAuliffe was the National Finance Director for the 1980 campaign of President Jimmy Carter. He was also the National Finance Chairman for the Clinton-Gore re-election committee.

2. Marc Benioff

Chairman and CEO
Salesforce.com
Bundles For: Barack Obama
Amount: $617,780

Benioff, the long-time poster boy for cloud computing and the co-chair of Technology for Obama (T4O), bundled $617,780 for the Obama 2012 campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Benioff also hired former federal CIO Vivek Kundra in January of this year.