Federal campaign contributions from lobbyists are slightly down this election cycle compared to the same time period before the last midterm election. But Democrats are pulling in more lobbyist cash — just as Republicans did when they held the majority in both houses of Congress.

Twenty-eight members of Congress and congressional candidates have received at least $100,000 from lobbyists during the first five quarters of the 2010 election cycle, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis shows.

The six-figure recipients include more Democrats than Republicans — 18 to 10 — but regardless of party, almost all of these recipients hold a leadership position in the House or Senate. The rest were long-tenured members of Congress or, like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), came from large states where it’s more expensive to run for office.

The numbers include both donations from individual lobbyists and political action committees of lobbying firms.

During the last midterm election cycle in 2006 — just before the Democrats took back control of the House and Senate — 36 members of Congress and congressional challengers received at least $100,000 from lobbyists during the first five quarters of the cycle.

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) — both facing tough re-election battles — rank first and third among recipients of lobbyist money this cycle.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and both parties’ House leaders and whips have received at least $100,000 as well.

Dave Wenhold, president of the American League of Lobbyists, said it’s not surprising that well-established politicians dominate the list.

“That’s just kind of the way it goes,” he said. “Some of these younger people… a lot of them haven’t really made their positions known. They’re kind of going along with party lines so you need to figure out where they are.”

Wenhold said lawmakers frequently invite lobbyists to fundraisers.

“We’re not out there actively soliciting to give this money away. The members of Congress are asking for it,” he said. “Of course, you can’t ban anybody from donating, but members of congress could simply stop asking registered lobbyists for donations.”

Melanie Sloan of the watchdog organization Citizens for Responsible Ethics in Washington disagreed.

“Without the money you don’t have the access,” Sloan said. “Without the money, no one’s listening to you in the first place.”

Sloan said lobbyists are important to crafting good legislation, but she suggested that lobbyists could simply decide to stop making donations.

During the first five quarters of the 2006 election cycle, candidates collected slightly more campaign cash from lobbyists — $16.7 million, compared to just under $15 million this cycle. The party with the majority in Congress also collected more campaign contributions at both times.

Republicans had collected more than $10 million during the first five quarters of the 2006 cycle, but they have managed a little more than half that sum this cycle.

Democrats upped their take by about $3 million compared to the first five quarters of the 2006 cycle to $9.3 million.

Party 2006 # of

Candidates 2010 # of

Candidates Republicans $10,279,315 346 $5,500,003 325 Democrats $6,358,265 336 $9,319,944 361 Independents $80,785 2 $167,783 1

Some say those numbers could change in the last two quarters of this year as Republicans hoping to take back the House attempt to use their potential majority power as leverage.

The lawmakers with at least $100,000 in lobbyist contributions are notable for their clout.

Lincoln, for instance, chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and included language restricting trading in derivatives in financial reform legislation originating from her committee.

The derivatives language became a target for lobbyists of the banking industry this year as Congress debated financial reform legislation. Nonetheless, the senator ranks third among recipients of lobbyist contributions in Congress this cycle. She ranks seventeenth overall among all members of Congress since the 1990 election cycle.

Lincoln has served in the Senate since 1998 and before that served two terms in the House of Representatives. She became the chair of the agricultural committee in September 2009 and sat on the conference committee for financial regulation legislation this summer.

“Sen. Lincoln’s public policy decisions are not influenced by campaign contributions,” Lincoln spokesman Charlie Gocio told OpenSecrets Blog in a written statement. “She has proven that she is an independent voice who stands up to special interests on behalf of Arkansans.”

With such power can come riches from lobbyists, said Craig Holman, legislative representative for Public Citizen.

“They’re giving money for influence,” Holman said. “They’re not giving money for ideology or party ID.”

Both Sloan and Holman named the Fair Elections Now Act as the only concrete alternative to the current campaign finance system under consideration. This legislation would create a voluntary system of public financing for congressional races.

Holman said some lobbying firms have endorsed the legislation, but they are among the minority.

“Many lobbyists are not actually sincere when they say they would favor a different system like public financing,” Holman said. “Their clout comes from their money and they actually work hard to throw their money at the feet of candidates.”

Employees of lobbying firms rank among the top 10 contributors for eight lawmakers: Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah), Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wa.), Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.).

One firm stood out above the rest.

WPP Group has given more money to federal candidates and committees this cycle than any other lobbying shop — with more than $850,000 in contributions. During the 2008 election cycle, the firm contributed nearly $1.9 million overall to federal candidates, parties and committees.

WPP Group ranked among the top 10 contributors of five of the 28 lawmakers who have received six-figures or more from lobbyists this cycle.

Its subsidiary Prime Policy Group represents entities such as AT&T, the American Medical Association, the American Petroleum Institute and Boeing.

Lobbyists from Prime Policy have been active in donating and fundraising for federal candidates of both parties as documented by the Center for Responsive Politics and the Sunlight Foundation’s Political Party Time blog.

Gabe Rozsa, a Prime Policy lobbyist, hosted a fundraiser for Utah’s Bennett in July of 2009 with a suggested donation for hosts of $2,000 per PAC at the headquarters of the firm.

Prime Policy’s Marty Paone, similarly, hosted a breakfast fundraiser for Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) at the Monocle seafood and steak restaurant near the Senate in April of last year. The suggested contribution for hosts was $4,800 from individuals or $5,000 from a PAC.

Despite the lavish locations of some fundraisers, Wenhold of the American League of Lobbyists insists many lobbyists would drop the current campaign finance system if they could.

“They [members of Congress] don’t want to be at three fundraisers on Wednesday night,” he said. “They should be doing something with their family or in the House passing good legislation. The lobbyists don’t want to be at a fundraiser either. It’s bad food, bad beer and you’re missing your kid’s football game.”

Here is the full list of the federal politicians who have raised more than $100,000 from lobbyists between January 1, 2009, and March 30, 2010.

Candidate Total Current Candidate ? Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) $470,628 Yes Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) $305,313 Yes Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) $302,201 Yes Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) $297,708 Yes Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) $262,243 Yes Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) $226,861 Yes Rob Portman (R-Ohio) $223,849 Yes Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) $195,221 No Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) $186,880 Yes Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) $185,307 Yes Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) $181,077 No Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) $174,950 Yes Gov. Charlie Crist (I-Fla.) $167,783 Yes Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) $156,400 Yes Rep. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) $154,735 Yes Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) $149,064 Yes Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) $136,133 Yes Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) $132,679 No Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) $130,250 Yes Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) $129,750 Yes Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) $125,875 Yes Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) $121,500 Yes Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) $117,439 Yes Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) $111,699 Yes Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) $109,250 Yes Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) $108,600 Yes Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) $106,973 No Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) $105,153 Yes

Center for Responsive Politics Senior Researcher Douglas Weber 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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