Reported by Tyler Sipe and Karen Weise using Federal Election Commission filings database between Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, 2008.

Graphic by Weise

Biographies by Sipe

Fremont residents donated about $739,809 to various political campaigns during 2008, according to newsmeat.com.  Fremont zip code 94539 contributed the most to political campaigns, amounting to $337,610, according to the Web site.  Below is a list of short biographies of Fremont’s top 10 political campaign contributors, in addition to where their money flowed.

George Zimmer:  George Zimmer, 60, is founder and owner of the national clothing chain Men’s Wearhouse, which has more than 600 stores in Canada and the U.S.  According to the Web site newsmeat.com, Zimmer has contributed about $286,200 since 1989. The site said 95 percent of his contributions went to Democrats. Newsmeat.com provides power rankings for 1,800 individuals, whose campaign contributions result most often in victory. Zimmer is ranked 89 as of Nov. 6 with a record of 32 wins and 14 losses. According to Morningstar, Inc., Zimmer made $1,600,557 in 2007.

PHOTO COURTESY of KURT GROETSCH. George Zimmer, founder and president of national retail chain Men's Wearhouse.

DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE – $62,000
OBAMA VICTORY FUND – $16,550
DARCY BURNER FOR CONGRESS – $4,600
AL FRANKEN FOR SENATE – $4,600
OBAMA FOR AMERICA – $2,300
NANCY PELOSI FOR CONGRESS – $2,300
MIKE HONDA FOR CONGRESS – $2,300
DAN SEALS FOR CONGRESS – $1,500
MADIA FOR U S CONGRESS – $1,200
JACKIE SPEIER FOR CONGRESS – $1,000
BARBARA LEE FOR CONGRESS – $1,000
FRIENDS OF CONGRESSMAN GEORGE MILLER – $1,000
JOHN CAMPBELL FOR CONGRESS – $500
UDALL FOR COLORADO – $500
BROWN FOR CONGRESS – $500
HILARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT – $500
WOOLSEY FOR CONGRESS – $450

Raju Indukuri: Raju Indukuri is senior vice-president of Satyam Computer Services, Ltd., according to the Federal Election Commission’s campaign financial contribution database.  Satyam has an office in Santa Clara, and their Web site says they are a global business and information technology company. Indukuri is a1992 alumni of the University of Illinois at Springfield, according to the school.  U. of Illinois’s Web site says Indukuri is also owner of Reachnet International Inc., which assists in the development of India’s first emergency response system.

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE     $28,500
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE    $10,000
MCCAIN VICTORY CALIFORNIA    $4,600

Nancy Fung: According to campaign contributions secured through the FEC, Nancy Fung is a secretary at Tian Feng International Corporation.  Tian Feng is a provider of international business development consulting, according to their Web site.

NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE – $18,000

Anil Godhwani: Anil Godhwani reported himself as an independent entrepreneur, according to the FEC.  In 2004, Godhwani donated to the John Kerry campaign and listed himself as president of India ICC, or India Community Center.  According to the ICC Web site, Godhwani is co-founder and president.  He was co-founder of AtWeb, which was bought by Netscape in 1998, according to the ICC.  He is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara.

DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE – $10,000
HILARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT – $2,300

Vinod Dham: Vinod Dham is described as a venture capitalist, according to his job title listed on the FEC database of Fremont campaign contributors.  Dham is co-founder of New Path Ventures, and according to the NPV Web site, he is coined the “Father of the Pentium Processor.”

HILARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT – $6,900
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE – $5,000

Ajay Shah: According to FEC records, Ajay Shah is an employee at Silver Lake, a private firm that invests in technology. According to the Silver Lake Web site, Shah works at the Menlo Park campus and manages development of the firm’s middle market strategy.  Before working at Silver Lake, Shah was founder of Shah Capital and Technology Solutions Business of Solectron, according to his biography on the Silver Lake Web site.  He has several board of director positions and is a graduate of University of Baroda and Stanford.

BLUE DOG POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE – $3,850
FRIENDS OF MAX BAUCUS – $2,300
HILARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT – $2,300
OBAMA VICTORY FUND – $2,300
BIDEN FOR PRESIDENT, INC. – $1,000

Fred Chan: The FEC cites Fred Chan as president of KC Rainbow Development, a Silicon Valley development company specializing in high-density residential/retail developments in Hawaii, according to their Web site. Chan is also chairman at Vialta Inc. and was founder of ESS Technology, Inc., according to the Vialta Web site. He is an alum of the University of Hawaii.

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF HAWAII – $10,000

Lata Shah: Lata Shah is listed as president of the American Indian Foundation, according to FEC records. The Santa Clara based company’s mission is devoted to accelerating social and economic change in India, according to their Web site.

HILARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT – $9,200

Minal Hasan: Minal Hasan documented herself as a lawyer, according to the FEC.  According to justia.com, Hasan is a graduate of UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law.  The Mercury News published a story with Hasan in 2006, reporting she was moved to the legal profession after experiencing harassment after the Sept. 11 attacks.

HILARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT – $6,900
OBAMA VICTORY FUND – $2,300

Anmol Mahal: According to FEC filings, Anmol Mahal is a physician.  In 2006, Mahal became president of the California Medical Association, and was the first person of Indian origin to be elected to head a major medical association in the United States, according to the CMA Web site.  Mahal is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology, according to CMA.  He earned his medical degree from the all India Institute of Medical Sciences and completed a fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center.

MIKE HONDA FOR CONGRESS – $2,300
HILARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT – $2,300
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE – $2,000
PETE STARK RE-ELECTION COMMITTEE – $1,000

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