OpenSecrets.org Announces Winners of Money-in-Politics Oscars
Maybe the red carpet should turn green.
On Sunday, movie lovers and fashion enthusiasts will tune in to watch the 82nd annual Academy Awards. The glamorous gowns and handsome suits cost a pretty penny, but most do not realize that a portion of celebrities' paychecks aren't destined for their own silk-lined pockets -- but rather politicians' pockets.
The relationship between Hollywood and Washington has a longstanding, albeit rocky, history; actors have been among the most vocal political activists. Though these popular figures often use their high national profiles to lead seemingly populist protests against the federal government, a behind-the-scenes analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics reveals that film celebrities are perhaps more closely intertwined with Washington, D.C.'s elite than their activist image might suggest.
In all, 15 of this years nominees within the top six Academy Awards categories -- best picture, best director, best lead actor, best lead actress, best supporting actor and best supporting actress -- donated money to federal candidates and political action committees at some point during the past two decades.
The cash totaled at more than $400,000, with 87 percent of this money going to identifiably Democratic candidates and political committees, and 2 percent going to Republican candidates and political committees.
So with that, the Center for Responsive Politics is pleased to announce the first-ever money-in-politics Oscars!
LEAD ACTOR
The nominees in this category are: Jeff Bridges, George Clooney, Colin Firth, Morgan Freeman and Jeremy Renner.
And the money-in-politics Oscar goes to … Jeff Bridges!
![jeffbridges[1].jpg](http://www.opensecrets.org/news/jeffbridges%5B1%5D.jpg)
Bridges and his wife have given about $64,800 in federal campaign contributions and party contributions since 1990. The couple gave $2,300 to President Barack Obama and the rest was split among 18 Democratic candidates; party committees such as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic National Committee; and political action committee Moveon.org.
Bridges, who appeared in "Crazy Heart," faced stiff competition in this category: George Clooney has donated $57,000 to recipients that include Obama, seven other Democrats, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic National Committee. Morgan Freeman placed third, with $7,400 in campaign cash going to Obama and four other Democrats.
LEAD ACTRESS
The nominees are Sandra Bullock, Helen Mirren, Carey Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe and Meryl Streep, but none of them have made political donations in the past two decades. While they certainly know their way to Santa Monica Boulevard, don't ask them for directions to Pennsylvania Avenue.
SUPPORTING ACTOR
The nominees in this category are: Matt Damon, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Plummer, Stanley Tucci and Christoph Waltz.
And the money-in-politics Oscar goes to … Matt Damon!
![mattdamon[1].jpg](http://www.opensecrets.org/news/mattdamon%5B1%5D.jpg)
Over the past two decades, Matt Damon and his wife made $106,000 in federal political contributions. The "Invictus" star and his wife donated $9,200 to Obama’s presidential campaign and supported the candidacies of three other Democrats. However, almost 80 percent of Damon’s political cash -- a cool $83,000 -- has gone to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. This was not a competitive category; the only other contender was Stanley Tucci, who donated $250 this year to John Hall, a representative from New York’s 19th congressional district.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
The nominees in this category are: Penelope Cruz, Vera Farmiga, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Anna Kendrick and Mo'Nique.
And the money-in-politics Oscar goes to … Maggie Gyllenhaal!
![maggiegyllenhaal[1].jpg](http://www.opensecrets.org/news/maggiegyllenhaal%5B1%5D.jpg)
The only political contributor in this category, Gyllenhaal won by default.
However, her donated cash is no small sum. Gyllenhaal, who starred in "Crazy Heart," has sent $11,000 east to Washington. She donated $3,300 to Obama’s presidential campaign and another $1,000 to John Kerry’s 2004 campaign.
The rest of her political greenbacks are in the hands of the Democratic National Committee.
DIRECTOR
The nominees in this category are: James Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow, Quentin Tarantino, Lee Daniels and Jason Reitman.
And the money-in-politics Oscar goes to … James Cameron!
![jamescameron[1].jpg](http://www.opensecrets.org/news/jamescameron%5B1%5D.jpg)
Cameron and his wife, who logged $14,000 worth of political contributions, are the only bipartisan donors in the field. Of their contributions, $9,000 went to the campaigns of four Democratic candidates. The rest of the money, however, went to the Republican Party of California. Cameron, who directed "Avatar," competed in this category against Daniels, who gave $3,000 to Harold Ford, Jr. during the former U.S. representative's failed 2006 campaign in Tennessee for U.S. Senate, and Kathryn Bigelow, who split $550 between John Kerry and the Democratic National Committee.
BEST PICTURE
The nominees in this category are James Cameron and John Landau for "Avatar"; Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson for "The Blind Side"; Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham for District 9; Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey for "An Education"; Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro for "The Hurt Locker"; Lawrence Bender for "Inglourious Basterds"; Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness for "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire"; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for "A Serious Man"; Jonas Rivera for "Up" and Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman for "Up in the Air".
And the money-in-politics Oscar goes to … Lawrence Bender!
![bender[1].jpg](http://www.opensecrets.org/news/bender%5B1%5D.jpg)
Lawrence Bender gave the second highest amount of money out of all the nominees: $65,100. Out of his donations to 19 politicians, the highest amount, $5,000, was given to John Edwards’ leadership PAC, the One America Committee. Bender also donated to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the Democratic National Committee.
Competition here was abundant. Bender was one of 10 directors and producers in this category who made political contributions over the course of the past two decades. In the order of the amount given, they are: Ivan Reitman ($47,907), Cameron ($14,000), Landau ($10,600), Johnson ($5,950), Kosove ($3,200), Daniels ($3,000), Siegel-Magness ($2,800), and Bigelow ($550). Kosove was the only nominee to donate exclusively to a Republican cause; he and his wife gave their $3,200 donation to John McCain.
Special Money-in Politics Awards:
Most Popular Party Committee:
Democratic National Committee, which received $57,950 among eight nominees. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which only received donations from four nominees, received more money -- $91,745 -- largely because of Damon’s mammoth contributions.
Most Popular PAC:
Hollywood Women’s Political Committee, which received $14,162 between two nominees, Reitman and Bridges
Most Popular Politician:
Barack Obama, who received $35,650 from nine nominees
The "I Love Obama” Award:
Matt Damon, who along with his wife, gave the legal maximum of $9,200 to Obama
The “I Loved Obama First” Award:
George Clooney, who gave a donation of $2,000 to Obama in 2004
Top Nominee:
Matt Damon, with $106,000 in political contributions
Top Category:
Best Picture, with $140,507 in political contributions
Top Movie:
"Invictus". The nominees associated with this movie, Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman, gave a combined $113,400. Runner-up: "Up in the Air". The nominees associated with this movie, George Clooney and Ivan Reitman, gave a combined $104,907.
Center for Responsive Politics researchers Douglas Weber and Carolyn Sharpe contributed to this report. Graphic design by CRP webmaster Hector Rivera.