Records on Ronald C. Kaufman

The materials in FOIA 2013-0857-F are a selective, not necessarily all inclusive, body of documents responsive to Ronald C. Kaufman's files. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. Please note that the Political Affairs Office folders are arranged by OA/ID number - not alphabetically. 2013-0857-F 2 FOIA 2013-0857-F contains materials created or received by Ronald Carlin Kaufman. Mr. Kaufman served as Deputy Assistant to the President for Political Affairs. Prior to that appointment he served as Deputy Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel. Before he joined President Bush's staff, Kaufman served as the northeast regional political director for the 1988 Bush-Quayle campaign. During President Reagan's first term, Kaufman served as the national political director for the Republican National Committee and later coordinated Vice President Bush's reelection campaign in 1984. In the 1980 campaign, Kaufman helped direct primary efforts in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. He also served as the Republican National Committeeman for the state of Massachusetts. Kaufman attended Bridgewater State College after graduating from Quincy Junior College in Quincy, Massachusetts. Also present are materials created by David M. Carney who held the title of Special Assistant to the President and Director, Office of Political Affairs. These materials are primarily responses to correspondents writing the White House about President Bush's re-election. The Presidential WHORM Subject File categories contain government forms, correspondence, papers, press releases, printed material, and lists. Primarily, the government forms include White House (WH) Optical Disk Network check lists noting whether or not documents are electronically scanned, WH Staffing Memoranda, National Security Council (NSC) Executive Secretariat Staffing Documents, NSC Profile Sheets, NSC routing slips, NSC Action Data Summary Reports, and Situation Room fax cover sheets. These forms log in correspondence sent to the White House as well as internal WH communications which list subjects of the correspondence, routing information, action taken, and disposition. Lastly, there are Office of Presidential Messages Requests for Clearance-Comments, Draft of Presidential Message. These forms track submission of draft presidential messages sent to administration officials for comments, corrections, additions, or deletions. The correspondence consists of letters, memos, and notes between President George Bush and various administration officials discussing letters and messages to and from the general public who supported his campaign and other Republican office-seekers. There are also letters sent to undecided voters, postcards urging voter turnout, and tabloids sent to Republican primary voters. Notes between staffers and Bush-Quayle '92 officials cover public statements by President Bush. There are also draft letters for public mail distribution, a message for the Republican National Convention program, and a fundraising letter for the Republican National Committee. Numerous papers contain President Bush's responses to questionnaires from multiple sources on various topics. The press releases and printed material reflect public remarks President Bush made at fund raisers. Lastly, the lists record recipients of thank you letters for their support of President Bush's campaign. The Presidential Staff and Office Files also contain government forms, letters, memos, notes, papers, reports, lists, statements, news releases, speeches, a schedule, printed material, and publications. Some of the government forms are the same as those located in the WHORM Subject File. Additionally, there are WH routing slips, Requests for Scheduling Recommendations, WH Staff Gift Records, and Schedule Proposals. There are numerous letters and memos present between private citizens, President Bush, administration officials, and politicians. Many address election results which changed the makeup of the Senate and House, requests for President Bush to speak at public fund raisers and political events, commentaries on local and state political races, interview requests from multiple sources, appearances at state legislature assemblies to discuss current economic conditions, and numerous requests by law enforcement officers on behalf of an Immigration and Naturalization officer who was convicted of civil rights violations. There are also requests from private citizens asking Mrs. Bush to serve as a college graduation commencement speaker, visit schools, and attend events at different children's facilities. Multiple communications between staffers, administration officials, and Ron Kaufman discuss his required financial disclosure reports, permission to participate in charitable fundraisers, recusals from matters involving Mr. Kaufman's financial interests, a lawsuit filed against Mr. Kaufman related to the Massachusetts Democratic Convention and its dismissal, and his appointment to the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad. There are also many letters and memos between Ron 2013-0857-F 3 Kaufman, administration officials, and congressmen voicing opposition to administration policy on loan guarantees to Israel, appreciation of Vice President Dan Quayle, presidential scheduling suggestions and topics, and feedback on President Bush's responses to questionnaires from various media and special groups. Numerous letters from private citizens are present which address a wide variety of topics: help with clemency requests, appointment requests for President Bush, local campaign and fund raising events, exchange of information on issues pertinent to state officials (economy, environment, energy, proposed tax legislation), invitations for President Bush to speak at public gatherings/conventions, allegations of voter discrimination, requests for White House tours, voting rights for military and overseas citizens, AIDS research, campaign finance reform, displeasure with President Bush's candidate endorsements as well as his reversal of his campaign position of no new taxes, objections to fund raising tactics used by the Republican Presidential Task Force, and redistricting. Several letters from Clayton Yeutter, Republican National Committee Chairman, to President Bush detail state and national political and campaign updates. Lastly, staffers discuss guidance on campaign-related mail via multiple memos. Notes discuss a legal defense fund organized to help pay expenses of colleagues under scrutiny in the Iran-Contra affair. Multiple papers relate to the lawsuit filed again Mr. Kaufman including a court motion for a summary judgment, depositions, stipulation of dismissal of the case against Mr. Kaufman, affidavits, a chronology of events covering the time period of the Democratic convention related to the lawsuit, various WH records related to the lawsuit (gate lists, memoranda, Mr. Kaufman's requests for admission of certain visitors, Mr. Kaufman's itineraries, and his appointment calendars). Other papers and reports address President Bush's responses to questionnaires submitted from multiple media and interest groups. Also discussed is the distinction between campaign and non-campaign candidate political and other campaign expense rulings. Lastly, there are numerous resumes sent in by private citizens desiring positions in the Bush Administration, poll results of registered voters on various political candidate issues, and a notebook containing resource information regarding the nation's Republican governors. Several lists relate to congressional mail sent to President Bush, campaign documents such as lists of state campaign coordinators, and a master log of the questionnaires sent to President Bush. Mr. Kaufman's statements and news releases detail his announcements following the dismissal of the lawsuit filed against him. Several speeches by Mr. Kaufman, Vice President Quayle, and President Bush were delivered at Republican events attended by the general public. Schedules reflect President and Mrs. Bush's stops to numerous states while on the campaign trail. A variety of printed material addresses private legal defense funds, the lawsuit filed against Mr. Kaufman, investigation of a WH federal computer contract, poll results for multiple Republican and Democratic politicians seeking various offices, coverage of President Bush's re-election campaign, published political cartoons, and Massachusetts political races. Publications of note include 1000 Points of Light - The First 100, Building a Better America, The Points of Light Initiative Foundation Report to the President (December 1989), Drug-Free Workplace Management Training, and National Journal: The Decision Makers, U.S. Exports to Mexico - U.S. Department of Commerce (1987– 1991). The Vice Presidential Staff and Office Files contain forms, correspondence, resumes, and a news release. The forms include White House travel authorizations, event sheets lining out details of official events and travel arrangements, speaking requests for Vice President Bush, itemized hotel bills, airline tickets, invoices for rented equipment, and vouchers. Letters and memos address hotel reservation charges, requests for action by Vice President Bush, thank you messages sent to Republican party leaders for their service, private citizens recommending individuals for government jobs containing resumes, and offers from private citizens to help Vice President Bush in his presidential bid. Election financial reports is the subject of a news release in the files. Read less