WASHINGTON — Cincinnati financier Carl Lindner Jr. was among the biggest donors to a Republican gala with President Bush this week that raised a record $30 million.

Lindner

Farmer

        The party at the Washington Convention Center on Tuesday evening apparently eclipsed the political fund-raising mark set by President Clinton at a $26.5 million barbecue for Democrats in 2000.

        Mr. Lindner, an influential political contributor who usually favors Republicans, gave $500,000 and was a co-chairman of the gala, according to Republican Party officials. Another significant Republican donor from Greater Cincinnati, Richard T. Farmer of Cintas Corp., contributed $250,000 and was among the vice chairmen of the event. Neither attended the fund-raiser, according to their staffs.

        Both of the major political parties have used presidential drawing power at annual blowout fund-raisers to collect millions in soft-money donations — largely unregulated money for party-building and get-out-the-vote drives.

        But such enormous, one-day hits may be difficult after the November elections under the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law Mr. Bush signed in March. The law, which is being challenged in federal court by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and numerous interest groups, bans soft-money donations to national political parties.

        Large donors like Mr. Lindner and Mr. Farmer could still give $10,000 in soft money to state and local parties, and limits will double for direct contributions to candidates, but the era of writing massive checks to the national parties may be ending.

        “We're in a period now where we're going to see some extraordinary activity as people get ready for the campaign-finance law,” said Wendell Cochran, a journalism professor at American University who studies fund-raising.

        Mr. Cochran said people who hope the new law will reduce the role of money in politics will likely be disappointed.

        “Perhaps (the GOP gala) will be the last on a scale like that, but they are not going to go away.”

        Mr. Lindner and his wife and family typically contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to political candidates and committees during each election cycle. Mr. Farmer and his wife also give hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republicans.

        President Bush was the main attraction at the event for 2,500 guests of the Republican National Committee. Donors were treated to dinner and speeches by the president and top Republicans.

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