Clinton Donor: A $1 Million Offer Superdelegates Could Refuse Or Mere Misunderstanding?

Has it really gotten this intense out there? The Huffington Post has a report contending that a big donor to Hillary Clinton’s campaign offered a $1 million donation to Young Democrats and in the same conversation asked the groups two superdelgates if they would support a certain candidate:

One of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s top financial supporters offered $1 million to the Young Democrats of America during a phone conversation in which he also pressed for the organization’s two uncommitted superdelegates to endorse the New York Democrat, a high-ranking official with YDA told The Huffington Post.

Haim Saban, the billionaire entertainment magnate and longtime Clinton supporter, denied the allegation. But four independent sources said that just before the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, Saban called YDA President David Hardt and offered what was perceived as a lucrative proposal: $1 million would be made available for the group if Hardt and the organization’s other uncommitted superdelegate backed Clinton.

[NOTE: This has been revised with some links for more stories on superdelegates at the bottom of this post.]

Any reporter or editor will tell you that on an allegation such as this an editor would require more than one source. Three is being safe. Two is being a bit sloppy but on some papers might be possible. Four is a considerable number of people and qualifies as confirmation — which doesn’t mean the person in question can’t argue that it was a misunderstanding:

Contacted about the report, Saban, initially very friendly, became curt. “Not true,” he said, “it’s simply not true.” He declined to elaborate. Did he talk to the YDA superdelegate? “I talk to many, many superdelegates. Some I don’t even remember their names.” Did he propose any financial transaction? “I have never offered them or anybody any money” in exchange for support or a vote, he said. The Clinton campaign did not return a request for comment.

Members of the Young Democrats agonized about the potential fallout of Saban’s call; his financial offer represented one-third of the group’s 2008 budget. Democratic officials and fundraisers were consulted about how to respond, and at times the discussions were “emotional,” one participant said. “It is scary for them, Haim is very powerful, he has great influence over donors who give to them.”

And since then:

The group had not directly solicited Saban’s financial support prior to the call, the official said, and records show no money from Saban has been given since. He did donate $15,000 to the group’s 2005 convention, a separate political entity, and is a natural benefactor for groups such as YDA, a 527 which describes itself as the “largest youth-led, national, partisan political organization.”

Saban is the nation’s largest political campaign contributor over the last decade, FEC records show, giving nearly $13 million since 1999 to dozens of candidates, PACs, and Democratic campaign committees.

Even if this is a misunderstanding, stories such as this if they linger will not help the Clinton campaign which the Boston Globe reports now faces a big hurdle: some powerful superdelegates have not liked the Clintons for years and now they don’t fear breaking with them. And some are.

SOME MORE STORIES ON THE SUPERDELEGATE BATTLE:
WA Democratic party chairman, a superdelegate, backs Obama
Calif. Democrats select final superdelegates
Obama picks up delegates in Kan., Md., Nev.
Clinton to Obama: Not so fast