Another Democrat activist tied to Murphy book deal

JUST ANOTHER FUNDRAISER - Democratic National Committeeman Robert Zimmerman, (pictured left with former Vice President Al Gore), reportedly aided U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy's controversial book deal.

 

Another national Democrat party activist has emerged as a major player in U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy’s sweetheart book deal, in which the freshman Democrat pocketed $100,000 just days before House ethics rules would have prevented him from receiving a royalty advance for his yet-to-be published memoir.

Robert Zimmerman, a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and a longtime party fundraiser, served as go-between for Murphy and powerhouse literary agent Esther Newberg, herself a former Democrat staff member and party activist. Murphy disclosed Zimmerman’s involvement in a recent profile appearing in the Philadelphia Inquirer, where the former U.S. Army lawyer said he was introduced to Newberg by Zimmerman, “who shares a close friend with Murphy.”

Zimmerman served as New York State Chair for the Vice President Al Gore’s failed 2000 presidential campaign. He reportedly raised $1 million for John Kerry’s Presidential campaign four years later. Zimmerman, who owns a Long Island, NY, public relations firm, most recently signed on as a fundraiser for Presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Like Newberg, Zimmerman has given generously to Murphy’s campaign committee, contributing $6,650 since December, 30, 2005. His business partner, Ronald Edelson, gave Murphy another $2,800.

The Inquirer profile borrowed heavily from majorityap.com research of Murphy’s book deal, including the possible involvement of U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel, D-IL, former chair of the Democratic Congressional Committee (DCCC). Emanuel’s younger brother, Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel, once worked with Newberg.

The younger Emanuel did not deny to the Inquirer’s Steve Goldstein that he helped Murphy, only that he “downplayed the fee for Murphy's memoir.”

Goldstein took the unusual step of defending Murphy’s $100,000 advance, based on majorityap.com research that found it was “unusually high for a first-time author.” Goldstein wrote that “literary agents contacted by The Inquirer said this was not so,” even though he did not quote a single source, nor did he appear to research the fee with publishers. It is the publisher who must recoup fees paid to an author through sales, not literary agents.

Substantial research by majorityap.com found not only that Murphy’s $100,000 advance is ten- to one-hundred times the average paid to a first-time author, but that political memoirs such as Murphy’s tentatively-titled “Taking The Hill,” are “a losing proposition” for book publishers.

In fact, Murphy’s book has already earned him more than John Kerry received for his Presidential-year autobiography, “A Call To Service,” which garnered Kerry an anemic $89,200 from Penguin Books.

Murphy’s book won’t be released until later this year.

Tomorrow, Patrick Murphy tells a whopper…