Tony and Heather Podesta appear back-to-back at the top of the database. | Courtesy Podestas lead FEC bundling list

If there was any doubt about whether Tony and Heather Podesta qualify as one of Washington’s top power couples, it can now be erased.

The pair, already known as top-tier Democratic donors and lobbyists, appear back to back at the top of the Federal Election Commission’s database of lobbyist bundlers. The Podestas bundled more than $320,000 each in campaign contributions in the first six months of this year, blowing away the nearest competitors and setting themselves up to make an early impact in what’s likely to be the most expensive political cycle in American history.


When told that she had placed second to another Podesta, Heather Podesta laughed and said, “I think I need to go to work. I never like to play second to my husband.”

Her spouse deadpanned, “The tortoise always beats the hare.”

According to an iWatch News analysis, since the beginning of this year, 30 lobbyists or lobbying entities have bundled a little more than $2 million to 14 political entities, including party committees and political candidates of all kinds.

To outside watchdogs, few things are as controversial as the role of big money bundlers and big money lobbyists. Lobbyists bundling large amounts of cash “raises the specter of this quid pro quo that is so disturbing,” says Mary Boyle, vice president of communications for Common Cause. She describes bundlers as the “power brokers” of the regulated financial system, who do a valuable service for candidates that, in return, “buys them access, influence and, certainly prestige within the campaign.”

Here are the top five lobbyist bundlers, according to the Federal Election Commission:

• The largest bundler so far is Tony Podesta, with just under $350,000 bundled to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the campaign of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

It should be no surprise that Podesta’s money has gone exclusively to Democrats. One of GQ’s 2009 “50 Most Powerful People in D.C.,” Podesta is wired into the Democratic establishment — his brother John served as Bill Clinton’s White House chief of staff and more recently acted as President Barack Obama’s transition team co-chairman while running the left-leaning Center for American Progress. His Podesta Group is one of the most powerful lobbying entities in Washington, with clients ranging from the American Meat Institute, to Duke Energy, to Sallie Mae. Since the start of the year, his firm has brought in at least $13.7 million in contracts.

Podesta told iWatch News that the $350,000 total seemed low to him and said he intended to continue bundling through the rest of the cycle with no set goal in mind. When asked whether he was surprised by being the top bundler lobbyist in the database, Podesta replied, “No surprises ever.”

• In second place is Heather Podesta, Tony’s wife and a powerful lobbyist in her own right. Like her husband, her bundled donations have gone exclusively to Democrats — more than $322,000 went to the DCCC and DSCC. An art collector and board member for several collections, Heather Podesta is also the owner of her own successful lobbying firm that works for a broad range of clients, including the American Beverage Association, Marathon Oil and Prudential Financial. Heather Podesta + Partners has brought in at least $3.3 million in contracts since January.

“Tony and I started this cycle immediately and wanted to not wait until 2012 to engage,” she said. “So we really jump-started our fundraising early this cycle.”

Podesta said she was not aware previously of the FEC database, which is put together by filings from the recipients of the funds. However, she said she supported the idea of more transparency. “Do I think transparency is good? Yes. Do I think it should be applied to everyone? Absolutely,” she said, adding that more transparency on the whole process, including the secretive “Super PACs,” would be a good thing. (Podesta added that she has not donated to the Super PACs.)

• Patrick Durkin, managing director of the financial firm Barclays Capital, is the top Republican donor on the list. His $167,800 was exclusively bundled for the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney, joining several other lobbyists who combined for more than a half-million dollars to the former Massachusetts governor. Durkin, a longtime financial executive, has lobbied for Barclays on financial issues, including the Dodd-Frank reform bill, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act and changes to the Tax Code. The company has spent more than $2.2 million on lobbying since the start of the year.

Durkin declined to comment for the story, but Barclays issued a statement saying it “supports the rights of its employees to engage in public and volunteer service in their personal time. Mr. Durkin’s engagement is consistent with Barclays policy.” This is not Durkin’s first go-round as a bundler — he bundled big money for President George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004 and for John McCain in 2008.

• The fourth-largest bundler lobbyist is T. Martin Fiorentino Jr., president of the Fiorentino Group. A Florida native, Fiorentino raised $102,900 for Romney’s campaign and $41,200 for the Senate run of Republican Mike Haridopolos, who has since ended his campaign. Fiorentino, who did not back Romney in the 2008 primary, is no stranger to bundling — he raised more than $1 million as the Florida finance co-chairman for McCain and rose to the levels of “Pioneer” and “Ranger” in the two campaigns of George W. Bush.

Although Fiorentino has not lobbied on anything directly so far in 2011, he confirmed he is still a registered federal lobbyist. He has previously lobbied on behalf of Florida State College and Physician Sales and Service; both remain clients of his firm, The Fiorentino Group, which raised $70,000 in federal lobbying contracts in 2011. Fiorentino has come under fire in recent weeks for his firm’s work on behalf of a foreclosure company that was reprimanded in April by the federal government for “unsound practices.”

Fiorentino said he has been personal friends with Haridopolos for more than a decade, and he has been raising money for presidential candidates since 1988. “In the case of Gov. Romney, all the money I raised was from friends, not corporations or clients — and with Mr. Haridopolos, almost all was from friends,” he said. Aside from the personal connection, Fiorentino said he agrees with them on the issues. “I support their views of less government, less taxes and more freedom.” He added that he would not be asking for his money back from Haridopolos.

Fiorentino expressed surprise at appearing so high on the list but said he has no problem with his name being disclosed. “I believe that transparency is important.”

• The fifth slot on the list goes to Michael Graham, senior vice president of government and public affairs with the American Dental Association. A commander in the Navy Reserve with more than 30 years of government affairs experience, Graham has bundled $130,000 so far this year for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. On behalf of the ADA, which has spent at least $1.2 million on federal lobbying this year, Graham lobbied Congress on issues like providing flexible spending accounts to members of the military, various bills aimed at repealing or weakening the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and a variety of medical and dental issues.

Graham said the money he bundled came from an ADA event held with various health-care-related PACs, rather than personal bundling. His name appeared on the invitation. “ADA is proud of our support for folks who support dental issues,” he said, adding that the association gives to both Republicans and Democrats every cycle. The ADA records show that the amount raised was $110,000 and could not account for the extra $20,000 listed by the NRSC.

Aaron Mehta is a reporter for iWatch News.org, a website of the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington-based nonprofit focused on investigative journalism.