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Fallon Releases FEC Financial Report and YouTube Video
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Apr 17, 2008 Posted by Stacy Brenton
(Des Moines, April 14, 2008, 4:15 CDT) - Fallon says he's pleased with his fundraising, which has raised a total of $171,618.70, all from individual contributors. In several of his campaigns, he has been outspent by wide margins, and he expects the same results to occur in this race. "I've always run as an underdog, and this time is no different. Traditional campaigns rely heavily on expensive consultants and media advertising, especially T.V. commercials. This week, we've taken a more creative route by releasing a new YouTube video today called "Campaigns of the Rich and Powerful."
The tongue-in-cheek video features a misguided reporter who steps into the Team Fallon office to investigate the alleged massive wealth of a grassroots campaign. Cuban cigars, Benjamin Franklins, caviar, and diamonds are paving the way for more progressive future... or not.
Fallon says the campaign does not accept donations from PACs or lobbyists. "At the end of the quarter, we had 2,082 contributors, who gave an average of $82.43. As of mid-February of this year, we had 1,652 donors, which was more than ten times the number of individual donors than Rep. Leonard Boswell had last year. We know he has been working very hard to increase the number of individual contributors, since 74 percent of his money came from PACs last year."
Fallon believes Iowa gained many new voters during the Iowa Caucuses because the message of getting big money out of politics resonates. Fallon says, "People didn't believe that Obama would turn out the number of supporters that he did. I'm seeing the same kind of backing from my contributors because they're excited about my campaign reform message and principles, and the new energy that I will bring to Congress. They know that ending the war, getting universal health care, addressing global climate change, and turning our economy around won't happen unless we get big money out of politics. Even a Democrat in the White House next year won't be able to effect the changes we need without more progressive Democrats in Congress who aren't under the influence of special interest money."
Fallon says this is the reason he is receiving support from all over the country. "Along with my Iowa supporters, I have received 31 percent from mostly small individual out-of-state contributors who are standing up and saying 'Enough!' with status quo politics in Washington. This stands in stark contrast to the out-of-state corporate PAC money that accounts for the majority of contributions to the Boswell campaign," he said.