Watchdog groups accuse Kerry of reversal in fund-raising pledge

By Glen Johnson, Globe Staff

Senator John Kerry won plaudits from campaign finance and good government groups earlier this week after he told the Globe he would not seek political contributions while serving on a special congressional “supercommittee” aiming to cut at least $1.5 trillion from the federal budget deficit.

Now he is drawing their condemnation, after making an exception to what appeared to be an ironclad guarantee. He is planning to speak at a fund-raiser in Boston next week benefitting the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

“When Senator Kerry says ‘I will not fund-raise,’ it clearly meant that he would do no fund-raising at all until his work on the supercommittee is done,” said David Donnelly, spokesman for Public Campaign. “What is so important about this party fund-raising event that would lead him to backtrack on this clear statement earlier this week?”

Donnelly said Kerry should cancel his appearance “and keep his commitment to his constituents.”

Mary Boyle, spokeswoman for Common Cause, also urged Kerry to skip the event.

“The fact is that people can still curry favor with him by giving money to candidates and colleagues he will be supporting at this event,” Boyle said. “If Senator Kerry is serious in his suggestion that campaign contributions should not taint the work of the supercommittee, he will sit out ALL fund-raisers while the panel is convened.”

A Kerry aide defended the decision.

“Kerry plans on speaking at a long-scheduled DSCC event next week to support his colleagues and a Democratic Senate,” said spokeswoman Jodi Seth. “He’s not in cycle and doesn’t have any events to raise money for his re-election campaign planned during this process.”

The event is next Monday in Boston. Besides Kerry, Senator Al Franken of Minnesota is scheduled to speak. The beneficiary is the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is charged with raising money to boost Democrats running for the US Senate.

Kerry is not up for reelection until 2014, but the Massachusetts lawmaker is a major party figure, a former presidential nominee who now is the 10th-most senior senator overall and fifth-most in his party.

Local senators often play host to DSCC events in their respective state.

The committee has already been a subject of concern for government watchdogs, since its chairwoman, Senator Patty Murray of Washington, has also been tapped to serve on the supercommittee. Murray also has the additional distinction of being one of the panel’s co-chairmen.

Watchdog groups feel there is a high potential for conflict of interests by the committee members, since they theoretically hold great sway over broad swaths of future social and military spending.

They are due to develop their plan by Nov. 23, and then the rest of Congress must vote approve it by Dec. 23, under the terms of the nearly $1 trillion debt-reduction deal made this summer between President Obama and leaders of Congress.

If the House and Senate fail to do so, $1.2 trillion in cuts will automatically take effect in January 2013.

Given the panel’s clout, watchdog groups have called on all the committee members to avoid fund-raising during their work period, or at least commit to real-time disclosure of donations to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Kerry echoed their logic during an interview with the Globe late last week.

“I will not fund-raise; I will raise no money,” the senator said. “I’m not raising any money while the committee is working.”

Asked why, Kerry replied: “Because I don’t want people to think that I’m being leveraged by contributions. I just don’t want want the appearance of money being associated with anything I do on this.”