Eight National Finance Co-Chairs Join Supporters of Senator McCain in 2008

ALEXANDRIA, VA - U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential exploratory committee announced today the addition of eight national finance co-chairmen: Donald Bren; Donald R. Diamond; Lewis M. Eisenberg; James B. Lee, Jr.; Thomas G. Loeffler; John A. Moran; Jerry Perenchio; and John Thain.

Donald Bren is chairman of The Irvine Company in Southern California, one of the nation's premier real estate investment companies. A former Marine, he is an accomplished master planner, master builder and real estate investor. Bren is also a significant philanthropist focused on education and conservation. He has been at the forefront of efforts to preserve environmentally sensitive land in Southern California and at the University of California, Bren's contributions have created more endowed chairs for distinguished faculty than any other single donor in the University's history. Long supportive of Republican candidates, he has played major finance roles in the campaigns of Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, former Governor Pete Wilson and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bren is a founding member of the New Majority in Orange County, California, an organization that has raised millions for Republican candidates supportive of free markets and fiscal responsibility.

Donald R. Diamond is chairman of Diamond Ventures, Inc., a real estate investment firm. Diamond served as vice president of ACLI International in New York City, owner and president of NBC-affiliate KVOA-TV in Tucson, and partner in Arizona Mail Order. He was a founder, vice president and principal owner of the Phoenix Suns and owned an interest in the Arizona Diamondbacks. Active in the community, Diamond served as chairman of the United Way, ran its general campaign and in 1995 was the first chairman of the United Way's Tucson Alexis de Tocqueville Society.

A former partner at Goldman Sachs, Lewis M. Eisenberg is a co-founder of Granite Capital International Group. He served as chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from 1995 to 2001. Mr. Eisenberg led the Port Authority through the initial recovery months after the September 11th terrorist attacks and was subsequently named by Governor George Pataki to serve as a member of the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Authority which will spearhead the rebuilding of Ground Zero. A former finance chairman of the Republican National Committee, he has raised millions for the GOP and was a Ranger for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign. He served as a co-chair for the 2004 Republican Convention in New York under Mayor Michael Bloomberg's leadership and helped raise the funds necessary for the event. Eisenberg also served as a key advisor to New Jersey Governor Christine Whitman. He is on the board and is chair of the Investment Committee of the Saint Barnabas Hospital Corporation.

James B. Lee, Jr. is vice chairman of JP Morgan Chase and has spent more than 30 years with the firm and its predecessor companies. During his career, he started many of the Bank's investment banking businesses, including the loan syndications unit, now the largest in the world. Lee rose through the ranks to run Chemical Bank's and then Chase Manhattan's multi-billion dollar investment bank and helped launch the firm's first leadership development program, LeadershipMorganChase. He is a member of the Bank's Executive Committee, and chairs its National Advisory Board. Lee serves on the boards of the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund, the Inner-City Scholarship Fund, and is a member of the National Advisory Board of Youth, I.N.C. He is president of the Berkshire Broadcasting Corporation, a trustee of the Brunswick School, and on the Williams College Finance Committee.

Thomas G. Loeffler is the founder and senior partner of The Loeffler Group, LLP, a government affairs and international trade law firm with offices in Washington, D.C., and San Antonio and Austin, Texas. He began his career as chief legislative counsel for Senator John Tower and was appointed special assistant for legislative affairs by President Gerald Ford. In 1978 he was elected for the first of four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 21st Congressional District of Texas. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan named him the principal coordinator for Central America in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. Loeffler served as Texas co-chairman for the George H.W. Bush presidential campaign, as national finance chairman of Phil Gramm for President, national finance co-chairman in 2000 and South Texas co-chairman in 2004 for George W. Bush for President, and as co-chairman of the Republican National Committee's Team 100. Mr. Loeffler was a Pioneer in the 2000 Bush campaign and a Super-Ranger in 2004.

John A. Moran is the retired chairman of The Dyson-Kissner-Moran Corporation, a private investment company based in New York City. He has had a long-term record of raising money for the Republican Party and is the honorary co-chairman of the Republican Leadership Council of Washington, D.C. Moran served as chairman of the Republican National Finance Committee from 1993 to 1995 and was the national finance chairman of the Dole for President campaign. He is a member and former director of the Chief Executive's Organization, member and former director of the World President's Organization, former member and director of United Nations Association, founder of the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and has served as a director of Wynn Resorts since October 2002.

Since 1992, A. Jerrold Perenchio has been the chairman and chief executive officer and controlling shareholder of Univision Communications Inc., the largest Spanish-language communications company in the United States. From 1973 until the partners sold the company to Coca-Cola in 1985, Mr. Perenchio was a partner and chief executive officer of Tandem Productions and T.A.T. Communications and a partner of Norman Lear and Alan D. Yorkin. Following his graduation from UCLA, Mr. Perenchio served three years in the United States Air Force as an officer and pilot. After his Air Force service, Mr. Perenchio started his business career as a talent agent, first with Music Corporation of America then formed his own company, Chartwell Artists, which was the fifth largest talent agency in the world representing such stars as Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Andy Williams, Elton John, Johnny Mathis, as well as many others. Mr. Perenchio is currently a trustee of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and chaired the $200 million fundraising effort for the new Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in west Los Angeles. Mr. Perenchio has been a lifelong Republican and was a major contributor and fundraiser for George W. Bush, as well as other candidates of the Republican Party.

John A. Thain is chief executive officer of the NYSE Group, Inc., effective March 8, 2006. Mr. Thain served as chief executive officer of the New York Stock Exchange since joining the Exchange on Jan. 15, 2004. Prior to joining the NYSE, Mr. Thain served as president and chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. since July 2003 and was previously president and co-chief operating officer from May 1999 through June 2003; he had been a director since 1998. He was president and co-chief operating officer of The Goldman Sachs Group, L.P. in 1999. From 1994 to 1999, he served as chief financial officer and head of operations, technology and finance. From 1995 to 1997, he was also co-chief executive officer for European operations.

Thain is a member of The MIT Corporation, the Dean's Advisory Council - MIT/Sloan School of Management, INSEAD - U.S. National Advisory Board, the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's International Capital Markets Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the French-American Foundation, as well as a governor of the New York-Presbyterian Foundation, Inc., a trustee of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and a General Trustee of Howard University. Mr. Thain received an MBA from Harvard University in 1979 and a B.S. degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1977.

"Over the years I have become close friends with each of these distinguished men, and I am honored to have their support as we move forward," Senator McCain said. "Across the board, they are at the top of their respective professions and their admirable experiences offer a unique perspective to the exploratory committee. Their dedication to the Republican Party and their renowned financial savvy are essential to any successful campaign, and I am so grateful that they have chosen to bring their talents and wisdom to our team."