Hundreds of individual federal lobbyists made personal contributions to Democratic party committees during the 2010 election cycle, while hundreds more made contributions to Republican party committees.

But a notable few — 22 individuals to be exact — made personal contributions to national party committees on both sides of the aisle, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Each of these lobbyists made a contribution the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee or the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and also made a donation to the National Republican Senatorial Committee or National Republican Congressional Committee.

In some cases, there are wide discrepancies in the amount given to the committees on either side — such as one lobbyist who gave $18,400 to the DSCC, and $500 to NRCC, according to the Center’s research. Other lobbyists gave the same amount to a Democratic committee and its Republican counterpart.

Ann Sullivan, owner of Madison Services Group, Inc. and a lobbyist specializing in women’s issues, told OpenSecrets Blog her contributions are based on supporting women in politics.

Sullivan gave $20,000 to the DSCC during the 2010 election cycle — $10,000 both in 2009 and 2010 — to support the committee’s Women’s Senate Network. She also gave $1,000 to the NRSC, which does not have a similar women’s support program. But Sullivan said she would likely donate an equal amount if it did.

“Everyone that I represent is bipartisan, to me it’s important to support both parties,” Sullivan said.

Below is a table of these 22 lobbyists and their national party committee contributions during the 2010 election cycle:

Lobbyist Employer DCCC DSCC NRSC NRCC Bruce Gates Altria Group $0 $1,000 $0 $17,263 Fredrick Palmer Peabody Energy $10,000 $0 $0 $30,400 Stewart Van Scoyoc Van Scoyoc Associates $0 $1,000 $15,000 $0 Robert Thompson Thompson Advisory Group $0 $1,000 $6,060 $0 Peter Harter Intellectual Ventures LLC $0 $7,000 $10,000 $0 Roger Nathaniel Levy Genworth Financial $0 $500 $2,500 $0 Melvin F. Sykes Law Offices of Melvin F. Sykes $1,000 $0 $0 $2,500 Thomas A. Davis Davis & Harmon $0 $1,000 $0 $1,000 Erick Gustafson Marsh & McLennan $0 $1,000 $0 $1,000 Rita E. Norton AmerisourceBergen Corp. $0 $500 $250 $0 Aubrey Rothrock Patton Boggs LLP $500 $0 $0 $250 William K. Ris American Airlines $1,000 $0 $500 $0 Bernie Robinson Livingston Group $0 $2,000 $500 $0 Bruce Joseph Wiley Rein LLC $0 $2,700 $0 $1,400 Marshall A. Brachman Marshall A. Brachman LLC $0 $4,000 $500 $0 Eric Hanson US Strategies $10,000 $0 $0 $5,000 Charlie Shipp SC Partners, LLC $0 $12,000 $5,000 $0 John Braun Teledyne Technologies $10,000 $0 $0 $1,000 Andrew Manatos Manatos and Manatos $0 $18,400 $0 $500 Ann Sullivan Madison Services Group $0 $20,000 $1,000 $0 John A. Kelly Perdue Farms $0 $45,400 $2,500 $5,000 Billy Tauzin Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America $0 $5,000 $5,000 $0

Andrew Manatos is the lobbyist who gave $18,400 to the DSCC and $500 to the NRCC during the 2010 election cycle. He primarily lobbies on human rights issues, and has previously held staff positions in the Senate, House of Representatives and in the Carter administration.

Donations to party committees are generally made at the request of certain congressional members he wishes to support, he told OpenSecrets Blog. Although Democrats have historically been more receptive to human rights issues, he is just as willing to support Republicans who feel strongly about those issues, he said. And in recent years, more Republicans have taken a stronger stance on human rights issues, Manatos said.

Bernie Robinson, a partner at the Livingston Group, gave $2,000 to the DSCC and $500 to the NRSC during the 2010 election cycle.

“I work for a lobbying firm that has the good fortune to advocate for clients who have interests throughout the USA,” Robinson wrote in an email to OpenSecrets Blog. “It’s normal for me to positively respond to contribution requests from clients, colleagues in The Livingston Group and friends.”

Lobbyists Frederick Palmer, Billy Tauzin, Bruce Gates, Stewart Van Scoyoc, Thomas Davis, and Charlie Shipp, each who made political contributions last cycle to both Democratic and Republican national party committees, declined to comment for this article. Contact information could not be found for lobbyists John Kelly, Melvin Sykes and Peter Harter. The remaining 10 lobbyists who contributed to both Republican and Democratic national party committees did not return phone calls from OpenSecrets Blog requesting comment.

It’s difficult to say exactly why these lobbyists make contributions to party committees on both sides, said David Magleby, an expert in campaign finance and dean at Brigham Young University. Possible reasons could be lobbyists’ personal connections with congressional members, or attempts to build connections with both parties in case congressional leadership switches in the next election, Magleby told OpenSecrets Blog.

Given the small number of lobbyists who contribute to party committees on both sides, Magleby, the campaign finance expert, said it’s hard to state a generalized reason for why certain lobbyists donate this way.

It’s far more likely for lobbying firms to make contributions to candidates and parties on both sides of the isle than it is for individual lobbyists to do so, he said.

“A very small number of lobbyists do this,” he said. “This is the exception to the rule.”

Center for Responsive Politics research director Jihan Andoni contributed to this report.



For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics.For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: [email protected]

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