GOP: Fundraisers

GOP Dept: BOSTON - As Congress readies for a drawn-out immigration debate, an expanding network of Republican fundraisers is pressing for a path to legal status for millions of immigrants living in the United States illegally, according to Winnipeg Free Press. At the same time, a coalition of fundraisers who support overhauling immigration is funneling donations to a new crop of outside groups designed to protect like-minded congressional Republicans who fear a backlash by GOP's core supporters and FILE - In this Feb. 13, 2009 file photo, Marriott International Chief Executive Officer John Willard "Bill: Marriott Jr. is seen in the East Room of the White House in Washington. As Congress prepares to take on illegal immigration, an expanding network of Republican fundraisers is quietly, but aggressively, pressing for a pathway to legal status for millions of immigrants living in the United States illegally. Business leaders and major donors who raised tens of millions of dollars in the last election are meeting privately with Republican lawmakers and other top GOP fundraisers who may be reluctant to support what critics call amnesty for immigrants who broke the law. At the same time, a coalition of pro-reform fundraisers is funneling donations to a new crop of outside groups designed to protect like-minded congressional Republicans fearing backlash on a political issue that could alienate the GOP core conservative supporters. AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File Business leaders and donors who raised tens of millions in the last election are meeting with top GOP fundraisers and Republican lawmakers who may be reluctant to support what critics call "amnesty" for immigrants who broke the law. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.