GABRIELI DECLARES $15.36 MILLION SPENDING LIMIT FOR PRIMARY: Christopher Gabrieli, who amassed a fortune as a venture capitalist, plans to spend as much as $15.36 million during the next two months, a pace rivals Deval Patrick and Tom Reilly are unlikely to be able to match. Gabrieli filed his self-imposed spending limit today with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance, days after announcing he would not join Patrick and Reilly in abiding by a $1.5 million spending cap and receiving public funds. Not coincidentally, Gabrieli received a matching 15.36 percent of the delegates at last Saturdayâs convention, fewer than 20 actual votes above the threshold needed to qualify for Sept. 19 primary, meaning that he may spend up to $1 million per percentage point of convention support. Calling it âarbitrary,â Gabrieli said heâd chosen âa number thatâs been pretty lucky in my life lately.â Addressing reporters outside the McCormack Building Friday afternoon. âItâs an amount of money that I certainly donât think anyone will have to spend to win the Democratic primary, since thatâs going to be a battle about whoâs got the best ideas to get results for Massachusetts.â Gabrieli said he didnât think he would need to spend that amount, and called the specific number an attempt at humor. He joked with reporters, âI hope people thought it was at least slightly humorous that I picked 15.36 â worth a momentâs laugh, come on, somebody laugh!â
