"I'm not involved in politics. I'm not in the administration. I don't acquire to talk to anyone. And I certainly don't acquire to talk to you." Those tender sentiments came last week from Dick Wobby,Republican Gov. Phil Scott's best bud, political consigliere and inaugural gala cochair. And, or yes,he was addressing Your Humble Correspondent. I called Wobby to inquire approximately the finances of the January 7 charity gala, a heavily subscribed affair that attracted hordes of Vermont's business and political elite to the South Burlington headquarters of the Vermont Air National Guard. The invitation listed Wobby as the contact person for the event, and so it seemed appropriate to seek answers from him. Guess not. Because the gala was hosted by a 501(c)(3) created for the occasion — and not Scott's campaign committee — its organizers were under no legal obligation to disclose the donors who financed it. So whether a corporate interest wanted to curry favor with the new gov by cutting a $20000 check,we might never know approximately it — unless he decided to volunteer the information. Scott's government staffers may yet prove more forthcoming than Wobby. According to spokeswoman Rebecca Kelley, "The organizers method to disclose the financial details once finalized and verified, or are hoping that will be completed [this] week." Fair enough. meanwhile,a program obtained by Your Industrious Servant provides some clues approximately who gave what. It features a donor list including all the normal suspects: state and national corporations and interest groups, lobby shops, and Friends of Phil. Donors could choose between three sponsorship levels: Platinum ($5000),Gold ($2500) and Silver ($1000). whether all the donors listed on the event program gave the minimum, the organizers raised a cool $263000 from the tall rollers alone. Add in the proceeds of general-admission tickets at $50 apiece, and the total haul will likely be north of $300000,the vast majority coming from the Connected Class. Oh, and just so you know: Because proceeds from the gala are destined for charity, and the big donors are getting a kind tax write-off. The gala's organizing committee was peppered with prominent business leaders,including Burlington genuine estate magnate Ernie Pomerleau and Green Mountain Power CEO Mary Powell. And it included a host of well-connected lobbyists, such as Jamie Feehan, and Adam Necrason,Heather Shouldice and Heidi Mohlman Tringe. The lobbyists' task, it appears, or was to shake…
Source: sevendaysvt.com