Donors to Unity08: People Like You? Part X

Today is the tenth day (for review, see parts nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two and one) in which I look at Unity08′s 4th Quarter donors, straight down in order from top to bottom of Unity08′s 4th Quarter IRS report, and provide some context to help you decide whether Unity08′s claim that its donors are “everyday Americans and “people like you.”

Here is today’s bunch:

1. James Barksdale, $5,000 donation. There’s so much about Barksdale to know that I can only supply a sample. James Barksdale is on the board of directors of FedEx, and owns 4,400 shares of common stock in the corporation. Barksdale is the past Chief Operating Officer of FedEx. He is also on the boards of Time Warner and Sun Microsystems. Barksdale is reported as owning 6% of the Class B shares of the Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund. In 2004, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Barksdale Corporation, and gave $20500 to the Republican Party. FEC records show he has given $107,700.00 in federal contributions since 2001. Barksdale is Chairman of the Governor’s Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal in Mississippi. Barksdale is the former CEO of Netscape. In 2000, Barksdale and his wife gave $100 million to a literacy program. And to top it off, George W. Bush appointed Barksdale to his Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. Did I mention that Barksdale is a contributor to the Republican Party and George W. Bush?

2. Perry A. Lerner, $5,000 contribution. Perry Lerner lives on a 1.9 acre wooded lot in a 6 bedroom, 4746 square foot house with an estimated value of $639,296, which for the town of Ambler, Pennsylvania is a large amount. And no wonder: he is a managing director of the Crown Capital Group (a corporation featured prominently in donations to Unity08), an advisor to I-Behavior, Inc., a member of the board of directors of Boss Holdings, Inc. and St. John’s College, and a lawyer for the motion pictures industry.

3. Grant Reeder, $100 donation ($400 total in 2006). Grant Reeder lives in a 1994 square foot house with 3 bedrooms. It has an estimated value of $768,688, which is a little high for a San Diego home, but not too high. Reeder’s occupation and employer are not listed as the IRS requires, but it appears that in 2004 he was “industry marketing manager for Delta Air Lines,” in charge of marketing for the western region of the United States. Now he apparently is a “Licensing Negotiator and Marketing Manager”.

4. Carolyn Tieger, $5,000 donation. Tieger, who is a member of the board of directors of Unity 08 and a co-chair of the Unity08 Rules Committee that will decide the rules for choosing a U.S. presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate, listed her address as follows in the lawsuit Unity08 filed against the Federal Election Commission (FEC), for which she is one of the five principal plaintiffs:

Carolyn Tieger
1909 K Street
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20006

That is the business address of Porter Novelli, where Carolyn Tieger works as partner and director of public affairs. A Porter Novelli press release details her achievements in influencing government policy on behalf of her corporate paymasters:

She is also lead communications counsel for the Asbestos Alliance and the American Beverage Association.
“Carolyn’s leadership has helped fuel the growth of Porter Novelli’s business and our reputation as a top public affairs player in Washington, DC,” said Helen Ostrowski, chief executive officer, Porter Novelli. “Clients trust Carolyn because she takes on the toughest issues and wins.”
“She is a hands-on strategist of rare talent with a tolerance for nothing less than top quality from herself and her team,” added Michael Kehs, executive vice president, Porter Novelli Public Affairs. “To know her is to learn.”
Tieger’s expertise has been forged through work in the most challenging communications environments – on Capitol Hill, in the Department of Commerce and at the White House, and in more than 20 years with leading public relations agencies. In 1994, she opened the Washington office of Goddard Claussen and became a partner in the firm. There, she contributed to the unprecedented success of its “Harry and Louise” campaign and managed the communications campaign that resulted in permanent trade relations between the United States and China. The operation she started grew to include 20 professionals working for top clients across the city and the country, including the Business Roundtable, National Association of Manufacturers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Chlorine Chemistry Council.

Porter Novelli is registered as an official lobbying organization before the United States Congress.

5. Arturo Brillembourg, $5,000 donation. Brillembourg’s home in Easton, Maryland is not listed in the Zillow database, but its nearest neighbor lives in a mansion of over 10,000 square feet with an estimated value of $4.1 million. Brillembourg’s neighbor on the other side lives in a 3,575 square foot house with an estimated value of $1.3 million. Brillembourg is part of the elite DC social circuit: click here for pictures of Brillembourg at a private dinner thrown by the Brazillian ambassador to the U.S. as well as two charitable gala events. Also on that page is a charming shot of Brillembourg arm in arm with Supreme Court Justice Steven Breyer, who showed up to celebrate Brillembourg’s birthday. Oh, look: the former President of Bolivia and the Moroccan, Jordanian and Colombian ambassadors were there too. You can catch a shot of the Brillembourgs’ fancy residence on the shore there as well. The scene of this June 2006 party is described by Washington Life magazine:

Though thunderstorms restricted guests to the Brillembourg’s beautiful home and grand porches, the weather was quickly overlooked by the excitment generated by a Cuban salsa band from New York. Those who tarried were treated to Aturro dancing on the lawn in the rain with his daughter, Calra, followed by his jumping fully clothed into the Bay.

Then there’s the Brillembourgs’ additional home in Georgetown, mentioned by Diplomatic Pouch as it reports on the Brillembourgs’ candlelight dinner there, thrown for a departing ambassador to Chile.

Brillembourg is also on the board of the Washington Ballet, in addition to a number of other high-flying activities.

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What a downright folksy people’s movement Unity08 is. There are still many donations left to go through. Look for more tomorrow.