Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign used the corporate jets of Las Vegas casino tycoons, the head of NASCAR, and the billionaire owner of the Texas Rangers. John Edwards often had at his disposal the jets of high-powered trial lawyers. And Mitt Romney was transported on planes owned by 27 captains of industry and commerce.
The practice of candidates for federal office paying discounted rates for corporate or private aircraft became illegal on Sept. 14, after Congress changed the rules out of concern that the trips amounted to an excessive gift, often by supporters with special interests. Until that point, candidates could fly on private or corporate jets for the cost of a first class airline ticket for themselves and any staff members traveling with them - a fraction of the actual cost of the trip.
While some campaigns, including those of Illinois Senator Barack Obama and New York Senator Hillary Clinton, never took advantage of the practice before it became illegal, a survey of campaign-finance records by the Globe showed that some well-heeled presidential campaigns made extensive use of the practice.
Through Sept. 30, Giuliani, a Republican, benefited the most, reimbursing 26 companies a total of $703,000 for transport services.
Edwards, a Democrat, was next, paying his chief fund-raiser, a Texas trial lawyer, a total of $627,928, and six other firms a total of $52,000. Romney's campaign paid 27 companies a total of $291,342, and Democrat Bill Richardson reimbursed 25 companies and individuals a total of $193,493.
"The concern has been that this is a perk above and beyond what the federal election law intended, and therefore they are beholden to those interests that provide a very valuable service for which [the candidates] are not paying," said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan research organization based in Washington. "And it's difficult to know who these interests are when the information is buried in reports."
The difference between the cost of commercial air travel and a private jet can be enormous. Charter rates for jets can run from $2,000 to $9,000 a hour, depending on the size and amenities of the aircraft - far more than the equivalent of first-class airfare that the candidates paid for the flights.
Spokespeople for the Giuliani, Romney, Edwards, and Richardson campaigns say they are now chartering their own planes and are in full compliance with Federal Election Commission reporting regulations.
Jill Hazelbaker, spokeswoman for Arizona Senator John McCain, a GOP contender who has made campaign-finance reform a centerpiece of his campaign, said the senator took no corporate travel and "on a few occasions, prior to the passage of the law" flew on the jets of "individual supporters."
Finance records for the McCain campaign, along with those of Democratic Senators Joseph Biden of Delaware and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, and the Republican former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, showed only a few instances each of corporate or private travel.
Giuliani, Edwards, and Romney, however, took numerous trips. Many of the corporations that ferried them used top-of-the-line jets, such as Gulfstreams. As the candidates spent more time in this election cycle fund-raising around the country, the corporate jets and charters allowed them to move in and out of multiple states in a single day.
Travel constitutes a significant chunk of the cost of running a national campaign. Through Sept. 30, the campaigns of 14 top candidates in both parties had spent $24.3 million on travel-related expenses - commercial air fare, charter flights, hotels, car rentals, and buses for candidates and staff - according to tabulations at opensecrets.org, the website of the Center for Responsive Politics. That's almost 7 percent of the $366 million spent to that point.
The identity of the jet providers is not always apparent from the campaign reports. Thomas O. Hicks, the billionaire owner of the Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars hockey team, and real estate and investment interests, holds an aircraft under the corporate name of Cirrus Gas 5 LLC in Dallas. Giuliani's campaign reported four payments to the company totaling $36,139 for travel expenses.
Hicks, his family members, and employees of his ventures had donated at least $46,000 to Giuliani's campaign as of Sept. 30, according to campaign records. Giuliani enjoyed the added benefit of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before a game at Rangers Park in Arlington, Texas, in early September.
Similarly, NASCAR chairman Brian Z. France is a big Giuliani backer, and Giuliani's campaign paid $37,872 to a company that manages France's aircraft. The company, Capital Circle Group Limited Partnership, has a Charlotte, N.C., address, but was established in Reno, and lists a principal office in Los Angeles, where it is managed by a friend and business associate of France.
Besides the use of France's plane and at least $62,700 in contributions from France and his employees, Giuliani appeared at three NASCAR races this year, most recently in November at the finale of
Giuliani's most generous provider of transport is also a major fund-raiser, Paul E. Singer, a New York-based hedge fund owner with a specialty of buying distressed debt of foreign countries. Giuliani's campaign paid Singer's Elliott Asset Management $266,435 for travel services.
Next is gaming mogul Sheldon Adelson, one of the wealthiest men in the United States. His company, Interface Operations LLC, an arm of his Las Vegas Sands empire, was paid $122,154 by Giuliani's campaign for transport services this year.
The Giuliani campaign also made two payments totaling $8,554 to Zuffa LLC of Las Vegas, a promoter of mixed martial arts sports programs, including Ultimate Fighting Championship. It is the brainchild of Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta, who are better known as the chairman and president of
Earlier this year, Giuliani collected an estimated $100,000 in campaign contributions at a fund-raiser at the Red Rock Casino, one of 16 gaming facilities operated by the Fertittas' company.
Romney's campaign has benefited from the use of aircraft from an array of interests, ranging from Cincinnati-based
Lindner, a former chairman of Chiquita Brands and past CEO of the Cincinnati Reds, is one of Romney's eight national finance cochairmen, and AFG was paid $11,802 by Romney's campaign in September for travel costs. The campaign also paid $4,740 for travel to eBay, whose president and CEO, Meg Whitman, is also one of Romney's national finance chairwomen.
AFG and eBay employees donated a total of at least $45,000 to Romney, reports show.
On the Democratic side, Edwards, who made his fortune as a trial lawyer, has relied heavily on the use of a plane owned by Frederick M. Baron, finance chairman of Edwards's presidential campaigns this year and in 2004, and a prominent Texas trial lawyer. The campaign made 86 payments totalling $627,928 to Baron in the first nine months of 2007, campaign filings show.
Edwards's campaign has made smaller payments to several other trial lawyers for use of planes and $15,280 to Leo Hindery Jr., a New York-based media company investor and adviser to the Edwards campaign.
Other major travel reimbursements recipients were:
John R. Miller Enterprises III LLC ($34,044), owned by Miller, a founder of National Beef Packing of Kansas City, Mo., Romney neighbor in Deer Valley, Utah, and national finance chairman for Romney's campaign.
JWC Huntington LLC ($30,062), a company affiliated with JW Childs Associates, a Boston-based private equity firm.
$26,809 total to Idaho Investments and Riverbend Enterprises, both connected to Romney finance co-chairman and conservative activist Frank VanderSloot, president of Melaleuca, a maker of health and beauty products in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
$24,630 to Walbridge, Aldinger Co., the big Detroit construction firm headed by John Rakolta, a Romney finance chairman.
$21,673 to Abigail Management of Houston, a corporation that holds the aircraft rights of Simmons & Co., an investment firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions.
$15,655 to Lawrence Ellison of Walnut Creek, Calif., billionaire CEO of software giant
$5,682 to
$6,352 to Flying Fishs LLC of Boston at the address of Suffolk Construction Co., whose CEO, John Fish, is a finance co-chairman for Romney.
