Reshma Saujani: Million Dollar Democratic Fundraiser Behind “Grassroots” Hillary Clinton Site

2:12 am EST February 25th, 2008 | News | 5 Comments

I’m not alleging any wrongdoing or shady behavior here, it’s just that when something is labeled “grassroots” a person with the profile like Reshma Saujani is not what leaps first to my mind.

I think of grassroots as regular folks getting involved in politics, and not necessarily people who have done this sort of thing before. She seems like a dedicated Democratic activist and fundraiser who has been quite effective and a part of the existing Democratic infrastructure for some time.

This came about because I noticed that the official Hillary Clinton blog was directing folks to check out HillarySpeaksForMe.com as a grassroots site supporting the candidacy of Sen. Clinton.

The domain is registered to Reshma Saujani.

Reshma Saujani served in 1996 as an intern in President Clinton’s White House.

She is listed as having received a “non-travel disbursement” of $55.34 from the 1997 Clinton inaugural committee.

A month ago she posted on the official Clinton blog about her role as a “Hillblazer” – a group of under 45 professionals networking together to raise money for Sen. Clinton.

She served as a delegate for New York to the 2004 Democratic convention.

She is a member of New York Women for Hillary Council.

She worked on Indian-American outreach for Clinton/Gore in 1996, and helped form South Asians for Kerry.

Before ethnic violence forced her family out of Uganda, she says her family was among the nation’s wealthiest.

She works for the Carlyle-Blue Wave hedge fund, part of the Carlyle Group.

She is listed as a $50,000+ bundler for John Kerry in 2004, and apparently helped raise over a million dollars for his campaign.

She has donated at least $1,500 to Sen. Clinton’s campaign so far.

Here is a picture of her in 2004 with Terry McAuliffe, then the DNC chair, now the campaign chairman for Sen. Clinton.

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5 Responses to “Reshma Saujani: Million Dollar Democratic Fundraiser Behind “Grassroots” Hillary Clinton Site”

  1. Wellstone says:
    February 25, 2008 at 10:59 am

    Sooo…what?

    Why is the fact that she received $55.34 in 1997 at all important?

    Ollie, you gotta stop looking for ways to hurt the Clinton campaign and help Obama at all costs.

    It’s making you look partisan and foolish.

  2. Oliver Willis says:
    February 25, 2008 at 11:55 am

    Like I said, this isn’t written to “hurt” anyone. I’m just saying that this person isn’t just a “grassroots” activist. She’s an effective Democratic fundraiser and activist.

  3. duros62 says:
    February 25, 2008 at 1:43 pm

    “Grassroots” in the carefully sculpted, manicured and well-fed country club sense, perhaps.

  4. Quaker in a Basement says:
    February 25, 2008 at 2:12 pm

    You’re surprised?

    This is exactly what “grassroots” means these days.

  5. Quaker in a Basement says:
    February 25, 2008 at 2:19 pm

    She has a job and she’s been involved in Democratic politics for a long time. What’s the problem?