Tapani Yli-Saunamäki: “Treasure chest” handed out money and paid campaign bills

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The political campaign contributions that were donated by the Kehittyvien maakuntien Suomi association were mainly decided by political jack-of-all-trades, Managing Director Tapani Yli-Saunamäki.
      Yli-Saunamäki told Helsingin Sanomat that he had been asked to evaluate which candidates should be given campaign contributions from money arranged by the business community.
     
According to Saunamäki, the motivation for the donations was protecting the preconditions for business operations, the securing of Finnish jobs, and the support of entrepreneurship. A dash of patriotism was also involved.
     
      “I had to seek out the appropriate candidates.”
     
      You got in touch with each one?
     
      “Yes, at first, and then when this started to spread, people started getting in touch with me more than I got in touch with them.”
     
      So the candidates started asking for money?
     
      “Yes, the telephones rang. I made the assessments, and gave them to the association. It did not get approved automatically, but 90 per cent of the proposals did get accepted.”
     
      Did you also make the suggestions on how much should be given to whom?
     
      “Yes, somewhat on the basis of who is a political heavyweight, a middleweight, and a featherweight. Kind of like in boxing. Naturally, a sum of money for a minister or party chairman is different from that for a young, up-and-coming figure, or a potential candidate such as [former Olympic skier] Juha Mieto.”
     
      Matti Vanhanen got EUR 10,000 and Marja Tiura got EUR 20,000. What was the basis for making Tiura the recipient of such a large gift?
     
      “I didn’t choose it like that. I also helped people produce the campaign, and we agreed that we would place newspaper ads, organise a couple of seminars, sell some paintings. The money was not completely without return. It was like a treasure chest, out of which bills for election events, and other similar expenditures, were paid. We put together something of a jigsaw puzzle."
     
      Didn’t the businessmen who gave you money put forward wishes on whom they wanted the money passed to?
     
      “No such wishes were expressed.”
     
      The total sum of the pool was said to be about 700,000 euros. Is this true?
     
      “I suspect that it was not. That is too big.”
     
      By how much?
     
      “I don’t know, but the figure does not jive with the assessment work. I don’t know if some [ Toivo] Sukari has given donations beyond this system.”
     
      Was EUR 20,000 the highest donation?
     
      “How am I supposed to know the answer to that?"
     
      How many did you give money to?
     
      “About forty.”
     
      Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said at first that he does not know where his money has come from. He later said that he was approached. How did this thing with Vanhanen go?
     
      “I spoke with Matti and said that there is a possibility like this.”
     
      Where did you speak to Matti Vanhanen?
     
      “I cannot recall where this took place - in Parliament, at an open market, over the phone. I know him well from years back. We have been in touch very much. I do not remember the date or the time, but there was talk about the elections and the election campaign.”
     
      Was it decided at some point that the names of the donors would not be made public?
     
      “There was no decision. We simply looked at the businessmen, noting that I know such-and-such a person. That is how it got started, but I have not been gathering together these companies myself.”
     
      Who did that?
     
      “It was a matter for the executive of the association - Pekka Lind.”
     
      You speak in the past tense. Has the association shut down?
     
      “No, it still operates, and my hope is that the businesspeople would not be frightened by this uproar, and that they would continue the work that they have done so far. Election campaigns are expensive, and without such a mechanism there would be just two options: either only the rich could run for office, or state party subsidies should be raised sky-high. But control is needed, and it should be more open than it is now.”
     
      How can openness be increased?
     
      “The candidates could make public from whom they have received money, and when the new law takes effect, then donors could be honest and tell whom they have supported. The recipient of a donation could be given the obligation to disclose donors."
     
      Is your association providing any money for the upcoming municipal elections?
     
      “I believe that these will be cautious times for all contributors.”


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Members of Parliament revising campaign finance reports (16.5.2008)
  Centre Party ́MP´s comments spark campaign finance row (15.5.2008)
  Brax wants monitoring of election campaign funding away from Ministry of Justice (19.5.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat