There's one man in the northeastern United States who is way, way into making America a better tomorrow, tomorrow, and that man is Harmonix Music Systems co-founder and CEO Alex Rigopulos. He's so into it, in fact, that he donated just shy of $10,000 ($9,600) to Colbert Report host Stephen Colbert's Super PAC in 2011, making his the largest financial contribution that the political action committee has received.
Colbert's camp disclosed Rigopulos' name and info along with many others to the FCC this week in a required move for Super PACs with contributors who donate more than $200. Of the $1,023,121 raised since Colbert launched his Super PAC, Rigopulos' donation makes up just under 1 percentage point -- not much in the context of the larger sum, but far larger than the average contributor (under $200).
Harmonix confirmed the Rigopulos news with Joystiq, but declined to offer comment, presumably choosing to wait for that better tomorrow (which we're told may arrive tomorrow-ish).
Reader Comments (22)
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 10:41AM A Sandwich said
That's a lot of money for a joke ...
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 10:55AM greyloki said
@A Sandwich It's being played out like a joke, but they're making a serious point with it. Our campaign finance system is a joke and it's broken, and every time someone tries to change it for the better, the usual people find ways around it. The fact that SuperPACs exist in this election cycle show that the regulations are basically non-existent at this point and anyone can fund a candidate for as much as they want at this point.
The sad thing is the only way people can have this brought to their attention is by sugar coating it with humor and satire.
Reply
The sad thing is the only way people can have this brought to their attention is by sugar coating it with humor and satire.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 12:42PM (Unverified) said
@greyloki
The bits with his lawyer were amazing, the fact that this stuff is legal is just dumbfounding.
Reply
The bits with his lawyer were amazing, the fact that this stuff is legal is just dumbfounding.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 9:06PM killer rin said
@BillyBongThornton
Please, if you want someone to blame for your countries poor financial situation, Blame your F**king parliament. Everything your President tries is cockblocked by them. Not everything he has done is bad.
Fix your broken political system, then you can talk about your president not doing what will fix your country. Get your head out of your a** Political entities do not deserve your praise. They exist solely to act for the people; which is something your countries entire system is forgetting to do.
Reply
Please, if you want someone to blame for your countries poor financial situation, Blame your F**king parliament. Everything your President tries is cockblocked by them. Not everything he has done is bad.
Fix your broken political system, then you can talk about your president not doing what will fix your country. Get your head out of your a** Political entities do not deserve your praise. They exist solely to act for the people; which is something your countries entire system is forgetting to do.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 10:43AM Major Pyr0 said
I like this guy.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 10:48AM Once known as Shadsy said
I will now pretend that the hundreds I've spent on Rock Band DLC all went directly to Colbert Super PAC.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 11:30AM Pure Black World Tendency said
And that's how you do a Lumberjack pose.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 12:02PM Haon said
I assumed that Pat Magroin or Frumunda Mabalz would be one of the top devs :D
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 1:00PM The Joy of Painting w Bob Ross said
@Haon
Nah, Munchma Quchi and Suq Madiq out donated them.
Reply
Nah, Munchma Quchi and Suq Madiq out donated them.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 12:21PM KungFuChaosNinja said
I wish I could donate that much to Ron Paul.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 12:57PM (Unverified) said
@KungFuChaosNinja You hate blacks and gays that much, huh?
Reply
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 3:11PM KungFuChaosNinja said
@(Unverified)
Why lie, bro? His close friend and campaign chair was an openly gay man.
And yes, I'm pro-gay marriage, which is why I support government getting out of marriage entirely and letting the people decide instead of religious fundamentalists.
Also, on the topic of racism, Ron Paul is the only one who has criticized the "War on Drugs" going back to the 80's as being "racist" and discriminatory. In addition, he's the only one who supports bringing people home and stop occupying foreign lands with troops and weapons, which means the middle east, i.e. Palestine, Pakistan, etc.
You can buy into mainstream media falsehoods all day long, however, that doesn't make any of it true. And before we say he's also anti-semite, let's remember that he supported Israel in the 80's when they took out the nuclear reactor in Iraq. Also, he believes in zionist principles of independence and self-reliance.
The facts sometimes hurt, huh?
Reply
Why lie, bro? His close friend and campaign chair was an openly gay man.
And yes, I'm pro-gay marriage, which is why I support government getting out of marriage entirely and letting the people decide instead of religious fundamentalists.
Also, on the topic of racism, Ron Paul is the only one who has criticized the "War on Drugs" going back to the 80's as being "racist" and discriminatory. In addition, he's the only one who supports bringing people home and stop occupying foreign lands with troops and weapons, which means the middle east, i.e. Palestine, Pakistan, etc.
You can buy into mainstream media falsehoods all day long, however, that doesn't make any of it true. And before we say he's also anti-semite, let's remember that he supported Israel in the 80's when they took out the nuclear reactor in Iraq. Also, he believes in zionist principles of independence and self-reliance.
The facts sometimes hurt, huh?
Posted: Feb 2nd 2012 9:48AM (Unverified) said
@KungFuChaosNinja Pointing out a candidate's actual views is considered "lying" now? Oh, boy. Looks like somebody has never actually read "Doctor" Paul's newsletters:
"I miss the closet. Homosexuals, not to speak of the rest of society, were far better off when social pressure forced them to hide their activities."
"A mob of black demonstrators, led by the "Rev." Al Sharpton, occupied and closed the Statue of Liberty recently, demanding that New York be renamed Martin Luther King City "to reclaim it for our people. Hmmm. I hate to agree with the Rev. Al, but maybe a name change is in order. Welfaria? Zooville? Rapetown? Dirtburg? Lazyopolis? But Al, the Statue of Liberty? Next time, hold that demonstration at a food stamp bureau or a crack house."
"[HIV-positive gays] enjoy the attention and pity that comes with being sick."
Paul's tried to hem and haw and lie his way out of his 20-odd year history of publishing white supremacist propaganda, but even without article after article referring to blacks as "animals" and gays as "perverts", his awful, virulently anti-American voting record makes it perfectly clear what kind of a creature we're dealing with.
Here, after all, is a candidate who's tried to dismantle protections for the working class (OSHA, minimum wage), give corporations free reign to fill our water and air with toxins, filed legislation decrying the idea of homosexuality as an "acceptable lifestyle", referred to transgendered Americans as "freaks", and repeatedly attempted to repeal a woman's right to choose (and what kind of message does that send? Government intervention is A-OK as long as it's restricted to a woman's uterus, but heaven forbid it be used to prevent a corporation from dumping mercury into our groundwater!)
More importantly, he's openly endorsed by Stormfront and other neo-Nazi organizations, gets financial support from white supremacists, and apparently meets with these hate groups on a regular basis. What a guy! But hey, keep telling yourself that I've been brainwashed by the "mainstream media" if it keeps you from having to own up to your mancrush on a senile, mentally deranged racist and homophobe who has no business being within 100 miles of the Oval Office.
You're right about one thing, though. Facts hurt, don't they?
Reply
"I miss the closet. Homosexuals, not to speak of the rest of society, were far better off when social pressure forced them to hide their activities."
"A mob of black demonstrators, led by the "Rev." Al Sharpton, occupied and closed the Statue of Liberty recently, demanding that New York be renamed Martin Luther King City "to reclaim it for our people. Hmmm. I hate to agree with the Rev. Al, but maybe a name change is in order. Welfaria? Zooville? Rapetown? Dirtburg? Lazyopolis? But Al, the Statue of Liberty? Next time, hold that demonstration at a food stamp bureau or a crack house."
"[HIV-positive gays] enjoy the attention and pity that comes with being sick."
Paul's tried to hem and haw and lie his way out of his 20-odd year history of publishing white supremacist propaganda, but even without article after article referring to blacks as "animals" and gays as "perverts", his awful, virulently anti-American voting record makes it perfectly clear what kind of a creature we're dealing with.
Here, after all, is a candidate who's tried to dismantle protections for the working class (OSHA, minimum wage), give corporations free reign to fill our water and air with toxins, filed legislation decrying the idea of homosexuality as an "acceptable lifestyle", referred to transgendered Americans as "freaks", and repeatedly attempted to repeal a woman's right to choose (and what kind of message does that send? Government intervention is A-OK as long as it's restricted to a woman's uterus, but heaven forbid it be used to prevent a corporation from dumping mercury into our groundwater!)
More importantly, he's openly endorsed by Stormfront and other neo-Nazi organizations, gets financial support from white supremacists, and apparently meets with these hate groups on a regular basis. What a guy! But hey, keep telling yourself that I've been brainwashed by the "mainstream media" if it keeps you from having to own up to your mancrush on a senile, mentally deranged racist and homophobe who has no business being within 100 miles of the Oval Office.
You're right about one thing, though. Facts hurt, don't they?
Posted: Feb 2nd 2012 4:52PM KungFuChaosNinja said
@(Unverified)
Except you're lying, not stating facts. Ron Paul didn't write those newsletters, as it was debunked by reporter Ben Swann, who outed the ghost writer. Check out the local Fox channel that actually researched everything. His segment is is called 'Reality Check'. The writer's name is James B. Powell, who's name was right under the story's headline "How to Protect Yourself Against Urban Violence'. In the '80s, while this was being written, Ron Paul was on CSPAN talking about how the 'War on Drugs' was racist and discriminatory. So, pal, your "facts" were merely accusations, which have since been debunked. Now, you can continue to spread fallacies, but real reporters have down investigative journalism and found out who the real culprit was.
Sorry, you won't trick me with lies and smears, pal. Even his close friend, who's a member of the Texas NAACP, has defended Paul. So he's friends with people of color, his close friend and campaign chair was an openly gay man, and his economic heroes are jewish. So no, he's not racist, he's not against people choosing their lifestyle, and he's not anti-semetic.
Now, since you have been schooled, allow the truth to set you free. Us libertarians believe in justice and equal rights for everyone through freedom.
Reply
Except you're lying, not stating facts. Ron Paul didn't write those newsletters, as it was debunked by reporter Ben Swann, who outed the ghost writer. Check out the local Fox channel that actually researched everything. His segment is is called 'Reality Check'. The writer's name is James B. Powell, who's name was right under the story's headline "How to Protect Yourself Against Urban Violence'. In the '80s, while this was being written, Ron Paul was on CSPAN talking about how the 'War on Drugs' was racist and discriminatory. So, pal, your "facts" were merely accusations, which have since been debunked. Now, you can continue to spread fallacies, but real reporters have down investigative journalism and found out who the real culprit was.
Sorry, you won't trick me with lies and smears, pal. Even his close friend, who's a member of the Texas NAACP, has defended Paul. So he's friends with people of color, his close friend and campaign chair was an openly gay man, and his economic heroes are jewish. So no, he's not racist, he's not against people choosing their lifestyle, and he's not anti-semetic.
Now, since you have been schooled, allow the truth to set you free. Us libertarians believe in justice and equal rights for everyone through freedom.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 2:25PM Once known as Shadsy said
@BillyBongThornton ...no, that's no really the argument at all.
The problem is that if you give wealthy individuals and large corporations the ability to spend as much money as they want in politics, the role of the average citizen in elections is basically destroyed. In a few years, we're going to have elections where, say, Time Warner could back a specific candidate and put hundreds of millions behind them without repercussions. There's no way a grassroots campaign can compete with that kind of wealth and power.
What Colbert's doing is demonstrating how the current laws allow him -- basically acting as a wing of Viacom -- to raise and to spend terrifying amounts of money for whatever he wants with no restrictions.
I'll be realistic: money is important in politics, and there's always been ways around campaign finance restrictions (see: the Swift Boaters, etc.). But now with Citizens United v. FEC, money has the potential completely derail politics in ways that have never been attempted before.
It's not a left-wing or right-wing problem. People on both sides are taking advantage of it, and people on both sides agree that it needs to be stopped.
The problem is that if you give wealthy individuals and large corporations the ability to spend as much money as they want in politics, the role of the average citizen in elections is basically destroyed. In a few years, we're going to have elections where, say, Time Warner could back a specific candidate and put hundreds of millions behind them without repercussions. There's no way a grassroots campaign can compete with that kind of wealth and power.
What Colbert's doing is demonstrating how the current laws allow him -- basically acting as a wing of Viacom -- to raise and to spend terrifying amounts of money for whatever he wants with no restrictions.
I'll be realistic: money is important in politics, and there's always been ways around campaign finance restrictions (see: the Swift Boaters, etc.). But now with Citizens United v. FEC, money has the potential completely derail politics in ways that have never been attempted before.
It's not a left-wing or right-wing problem. People on both sides are taking advantage of it, and people on both sides agree that it needs to be stopped.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 2:34PM haysoos123 said
@BillyBongThornton
Incumbents get a primary challenge sometimes, but not this time because there wasn't the support for it.
As for "it has nothing to do with money" ... what a crock. Did you not see what happened in the Florida primary? The crazy amount of money flowing through the superPACs allowed him to run an unprecedented number of negative ads against Gingrich. Romney has been putting out ads for MONTHS in Florida. He's also way better organized on the ground. Tell me that doesn't cost money.
Incumbents get a primary challenge sometimes, but not this time because there wasn't the support for it.
As for "it has nothing to do with money" ... what a crock. Did you not see what happened in the Florida primary? The crazy amount of money flowing through the superPACs allowed him to run an unprecedented number of negative ads against Gingrich. Romney has been putting out ads for MONTHS in Florida. He's also way better organized on the ground. Tell me that doesn't cost money.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 3:13PM KungFuChaosNinja said
@BillyBongThornton
Romney and Obama are both heavily funded by Goldman Sachs.
Yeah......
Romney and Obama are both heavily funded by Goldman Sachs.
Yeah......
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 4:31PM Once known as Shadsy said
@BillyBongThornton It's not stopping you from voting. But they run $10 million in ads, and then that changes the tone of the conversation, and then that forces them to ask questions about it during debates... which then changes the polls, and then the media constructs a narrative, etc. etc. free choice is dead.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 4:32PM Once known as Shadsy said
@BillyBongThornton You know what, forget it. I'm cynical, and you're misdirecting your anger at some imaginary left-wing menace. Enjoy your elections sponsored by PepsiCo. COLBERT SUPER PAC UNITE!








