What does over $150,000 in campaign contributions to Democrats by Madoff mean?

[originalpckelly]

We know that at the very least the man is accused of a $50 billion fraud.
We know that he confessed to it, but that may be thrown out as it was done in custody.
We know from the Federal Elections Commission's database that he donated mostly to NY Dems.

Should we be suspicious? Was he lubing the wheels of power to keep them from investigating him? I mean, if I could spend only $150,000 to get $50 billion, I think that's a fair trade off. And really, isn't $150,000 a hell of a lot of money for one person? Why should the party of Democrats, supposedly of the people, be taking money from rich SOBs like that asshole?

FEC database may be found here:
http://fec.gov/finance/disclosure/norindsea.shtml

Just madoff in the last name box, and bernard in the first.

Here is the readout you will get:
Contributions to Political Committees

MADOFF, BERNARD
NEW YORK, NY 10021

SCHUMER, CHARLES E
VIA SCHUMER '98
06/29/1998 -300.00 20020161719

MADOFF, BERNARD
NEW YORK, NY 10021
BERNARD MADOFF INVESTMENTS

LAUTENBERG, FRANK R
VIA LAUTENBERG FOR SENATE
02/18/2004 1000.00 24020260913

WYDEN, RONALD LEE
VIA WYDEN FOR SENATE
03/25/2003 2000.00 23020191985
03/25/2003 2000.00 23020191985

MADOFF, BERNARD
NEW YORK, NY 10021
MADOFF INVESTMENTS/CHAIRMAN

MATHESON, JAMES
VIA MATHESON FOR CONGRESS
10/18/2004 250.00 24991330031

MADOFF, BERNARD
NEW YORK, NY 10021
MADOFF SECURITIES

CORZINE, JON S
VIA CORZINE 2000 INC
08/24/1999 1000.00 20020031614

MADOFF, BERNARD
NEW YORK, NY 10021
SELF-EMPLOYED/BANKER

HOOLEY, DARLENE
VIA HOOLEY FOR CONGRESS
10/15/2004 250.00 24981483366

MADOFF, BERNARD
NEW YORK, NY 10022

CROWLEY, JOSEPH
VIA CROWLEY FOR CONGRESS
08/26/1998 -500.00 98033513368

MADOFF, BERNARD
NEW YORK, NY 10022
BERNARD L MADOFF INVESTMENT SECUR

SCHUMER, CHARLES E
VIA SCHUMER '98
03/31/1998 300.00 98020080361

SECURITIES INDUSTRY AND FINANCIAL MARKETS ASSOCIATION FUND A
12/20/1999 2000.00 20035342406
12/20/1999 2000.00 20035043217
11/03/2000 2000.00 20036554275

MADOFF, BERNARD
NEW YORK, NY 10022
BOND BROKER

CROWLEY, JOSEPH
VIA CROWLEY FOR CONGRESS
08/04/1998 500.00 98033513348

MADOFF, BERNARD
NEW YORK, NY 10022
CHAIRMAN

CLINTON, HILLARY RODHAM
VIA HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON FOR US SENATE COMMITTEE INC
01/13/2000 1000.00 20020140293

MADOFF, BERNARD
NEW YORK, NY 10022
SELF EMPLOYED/INVESTOR

MERKLEY, JEFFREY ALAN
VIA JEFF MERKLEY FOR OREGON
04/24/2008 2300.00 28020233434

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10021

FROST, MARTIN
VIA MARTIN FROST CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
10/15/2004 250.00 24981593976

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10021
BERNARD L MADOFF INVEST SEC

DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
05/09/2005 25000.00 25020223064

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10021
BERNARD L MADOFF INVESTMENTS

SCHUMER, CHARLES E
VIA FRIENDS OF SCHUMER
04/08/2002 1000.00 22020572029
04/08/2002 1000.00 22020572030
08/18/2004 1000.00 24020682387
08/18/2004 1000.00 24020682386

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10021
BERNARD L MADOFF/CHAIRMAN

GEPHARDT, RICHARD A
VIA GEPHARDT FOR PRESIDENT INC.
09/23/2003 2000.00 23992120817

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10021
BERNARD MADOFF INC

OBEY, DAVID R
VIA A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR DAVE OBEY
03/10/2000 1000.00 20035482353

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10021
BERNARD MADOFF INVESTMENT SEC

FOSSELLA, VITO
VIA COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT VITO FOSSELLA
04/20/2000 1000.00 20035843717

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10021
MADOFF INVESTMENTS

MARKEY, EDWARD J MR.
VIA MARKEY COMMITTEE, THE
05/15/1998 1000.00 98033264489

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10021
MADOFF INVESTMENTS/CHAIRMAN

MARKEY, EDWARD J MR.
VIA MARKEY COMMITTEE, THE
06/17/2004 2000.00 24961871421
06/17/2004 2000.00 24961871421

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10021
SELF-EMPLOYED

D'AMATO, ALFONSE M
VIA FRIENDS OF SENATOR D'AMATO (1998 COMMITTEE)
09/21/1998 1000.00 98020221244

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10022
BERNARD L MADOFF INVESTMENT

TAUZIN, WILBERT J II
VIA BILLY TAUZIN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE THE
05/05/1998 1000.00 98033280117

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10022
BERNARD L MADOFF INVESTMENT SECUR

SCHUMER, CHARLES E
VIA SCHUMER '98
05/22/1998 1000.00 98020153371
05/22/1998 1000.00 98020153371

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10022
BERNARD L MADOFF PC

RANGEL, CHARLES B
VIA RANGEL FOR CONGRESS
10/23/1998 1000.00 98034023088

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10022
BERNARD L. MADOFF INVEST. SEC./CH

DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
09/30/2006 25000.00 26020872891

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10022
BERNARD L. MADOFF INVEST.-SEC./CH

DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
05/04/2007 25000.00 27020190980
09/12/2008 25000.00 28020611133

MADOFF, BERNARD L MR.
NEW YORK, NY 10021
BERNARD L. MADOFF INVESTMENT SECU

SECURITIES INDUSTRY AND FINANCIAL MARKETS ASSOCIATION FUND A
09/22/2005 5000.00 25971371439
10/17/2006 5000.00 26950709195

SECURITIES INDUSTRY AND FINANCIAL MARKETS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
05/24/2007 5000.00 27990166821

MADOFF, BERNARD L MR.
NEW YORK, NY 10021
MADOFF (BERNARD L.) INVESTMENT SE

SECURITIES INDUSTRY AND FINANCIAL MARKETS ASSOCIATION FUND A
07/08/2004 5000.00 24962139131

MADOFF, BERNARD L.
NEW YORK, NY 10021

SAUL, ANDREW MARSHALL
VIA SAUL FOR CONGRESS INC
12/05/2007 -2300.00 28990305541

MADOFF, BERNARD L.
NEW YORK, NY 10021
BERNARD L. MADOFF INVESTMENT/CHAI

SAUL, ANDREW MARSHALL
VIA SAUL FOR CONGRESS INC
07/10/2007 2300.00 27931355510

MADOFF, BERNARD L.
NEW YORK, NY 10022
BERNARD L. MADOFF P.C./CHAIRMAN

RANGEL, CHARLES B
VIA RANGEL FOR CONGRESS
08/30/2001 1000.00 22991228121

MADOFF, BERNARD MR.
NEW YORK, NY 10021
BERNARD MADOFF INVESTMENT SECURIT

BRADLEY, BILL
VIA BILL BRADLEY FOR PRESIDENT INC
04/26/1999 1000.00 20990130846

Total Contributions: 156050.00

Joint Fundraising Contributions

These are contributions to committees who are raising funds to be distributed to other committees. The breakdown of these contributions to their final recipients may appear below

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10021
BERNARD L MADOFF INVESTMENT SECUR

VICTORY IN NEW YORK
10/30/1998 1000.00 98020270881

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10021
BERNARD MADOFF INVESTMENT/CHAIRMA

LAUTENBERG NJ VICTORY COMMITTEE
07/20/2007 300.00 27931343375
07/20/2007 2300.00 27931343375
07/20/2007 5000.00 27931343376

Total Joint Fundraising: 8600.00

Recipient of Joint Fundraiser Contributions

These are the Final Recipients of Joint Fundraising Contributions

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10021
BERNARD L MADOFF INVEST SEC

DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
10/30/1998 1000.00 98020270462

MADOFF, BERNARD L
NEW YORK, NY 10021
BERNARD MADOFF INVESTMENT

LAUTENBERG, FRANK R
VIA LAUTENBERG FOR SENATE
07/20/2007 300.00 27020400524
07/20/2007 2300.00 27020400525

Recipient Total: 3600.00

[DainBramaged]

1. He was a cheapskate?

[originalpckelly]

3. What the fuck are you talking about?

Are you serious?

[DainBramaged]

8. NO sense of humor (and you don't need to curse at me jerk)

[originalpckelly]

10. I'm slightly pissed off, I'm sorry.

Betrayal does that sort of thing. :grr: No harm meant to you! :P

[spanone]

2. he's a democrat

[originalpckelly]

6. He's not just a person who picked Dem on their voter registration card...

he gave us $150,000, and it looks damn suspicious.

I'm willing to bet that this guy has bought off a large chunk of the government, and that includes both parties. He bought off power in his own state, at least as that applies to the federal level. I want to know if he donated similarly large amounts at the state level.

[Skidmore]

4. Color me surprised....

Actually, high on the list of Democrats who give me pause are Schumer and Lautenberg--I think they are corrupt. Rangel and Dodd are rapidly moving up my list. Lieberman would be right at the top tooif I could figure out where he fits in party wise.

[originalpckelly]

9. I tend to agree with at least Schumer, he screams douchebag to me...

The lesson here is not to trust anyone and to watch all of these people like hawks.

[notadmblnd]

5. it means there are corrupt corporate Dems, just like there are corrupt corporate Republicans

As long as corporations are allowed to buy our politicians, the rest of us will always lose against them.

Now compare your list to the republican donations the last few years and decide who was paid more.

[originalpckelly]

7. There were no Republicans.

It's not a list that does that. The database just comes back with whomever he donated to of either party, and this guy only donated to Democrats. The Republicans have their own crooks to ask donations from.

It's called regulatory capture, and basically it states that companies which are regulated will eventually buy off the regulators.

[stevebreeze]

11. then look at other lists Madoff was a bipartisan donor

He did give much more to the people in power at the time, that meaning mostly democrats in NY and nationally.