The planning committee for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden stoked the ire of the party's left flank by seeking big-dollar contributions after launching a fundraising activity.
To keep the scaled-back campaign this year, the events that mark Biden's inauguration will be a majority of virtual ones, as it comes with a footprint that the Biden-Harris Presidential Inauguration Committee tagged in a statement as extremely limited.
According to the menu of options published by the New York Times, the committee is inviting donors to give lavishly, which is itemized packages that include photo opportunities and networking.
Moreover, corporations giving $500,000 and $1 million, and even people who are giving half the amount will have a chance to facetime with President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
The preferred viewing for the January 20 ceremony, something of an IOU with four VIP tickets to a future in-person event and VIP swag and online concerts participation, Daily Mail reported.
They will also get virtual invites to briefings with campaign leaders and the Senior Committee.
Based on the committee, they will not take contributions from fossil fuel interest.
However, in a scathing letter this week, several members of liberal groups under a coalition known as Demand Progress requested the organizers to issue a blanket rejection of all major corporate cash.
The letter also stated that other corporate interests must also be prevented from wielding undue influence and outlined the concern that donations could be used to curry favor with a new administration.
According to the Washington Examiner, the group also cited that the appearance of impropriety, which they call a drive to raise so much money with no evident use for it, is perplexing, prompting an effort to stamp out the unfettered corruption.
Craig Holman, an ethics and campaign finance expert for the government watchdog group Public Citizen, shared that historically, major donors tend to be government contractors or special interests with business pending before the federal government, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Holman added that the team could have shown concern for the pandemic's ravages by hosting a very minimal inaugural ceremony.
Although the events will be mostly online, many of them are expected to be large-scale, which means productions will be organized by the producers of Super Bowl halftime shows and major award ceremonies.
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Holman also mentioned that they could have followed in the noble footsteps of Thomas Jefferson. The latter celebrated his inauguration simply by walking from the White House to the Capitol, where he made his inaugural speech, and then walked back home.
Holman added that by doing this, it would have cost next to nothing.
Brendan Fischer of the Campaign Legal Center shared that the swearing-in ceremony wherein the new president stands on Congress's steps, or the inauguration itself is funded by the public, which includes maintenance, security, and construction costs, as well as law enforcement and first responders.
He stated that basically, everything else is funded by the Inaugural Committee.
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