Star Wars creator, Google CEO among Obama donors

By Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Filmmaker George Lucas and Google CEO Eric Schmidt are among the donors helping to underwrite Barack Obama's transition to the U.S. presidency, according to figures released on Monday.

The "Star Wars" creator and the Internet mogul were among 1,776 people who contributed nearly $1.2 million following Obama's Nov. 4 victory over Republican John McCain, according to a list posted on the transition team's Web site.

Obama's transition team has set a budget of $12 million to pay salaries, rent and other expenses as it prepares to take office on Jan. 20.

Taxpayers will pay $5.2 million and the rest must be covered by donors who can each give up to $5,000.

Obama's transition team has pledged to release the names of those donors on a monthly basis to establish transparency. It is also refusing contributions from registered lobbyists, corporations, labor unions and other groups.

As of Nov. 15, more than half of the total raised came from 131 people who gave the $5,000 maximum.

Others who contributed that amount included James Crowe, CEO of Level 3 Communications; Andrew Lack, head of Bloomberg LP's multimedia group; and William Daley, a former commerce secretary under President Bill Clinton who is a co-chair of Obama's inauguration committee.

"The question always is what might they be expecting in return for their effort, and of course there's no way to know that at this point," said Massie Ritsch of the Center for Responsive Politics, a watchdog group.