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Lawmakers Embrace Lobbyist Cash
By Richard Simon and Mary Curtius
Times Staff Writers
03/05/06 "Los
Angeles Times" -- -- WASHINGTON — Capitol Hill is
abuzz these days with talk about keeping lobbyists at a distance.
But when it comes to the political cash they can generate, interest
in keeping them near remains strong.
This weekend, Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) is
hosting a $5,000-per-person gathering — which invitations said would
feature golf, fishing, snorkeling and "much, much more" — in the
Florida Keys. McKeon anticipated that many of the guests would be
lobbyists.
Also this weekend, lobbyists are among those at "Winterfest '06,"
where supporters of Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) can ski and
snowmobile at the exclusive Yellowstone Club in his home state.
And in Washington, scores of less flashy, but still lucrative,
fundraisers will be held in the coming weeks for Republican and
Democratic lawmakers alike. Lobbyists, along with clients and
friends, will constitute many of those in attendance.
The expensive events are perfectly legal. But they have raised
questions about whether Congress is missing the point as it responds
to the scandal surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the once-powerful
influence peddler who this year pleaded guilty to defrauding clients
and conspiring to bribe lawmakers.
As has become clear in recent days, legislation with the best chance
of passing does not tackle campaign finance issues, but would
require members of Congress and lobbyists to more fully detail their
contacts with each other.
Some lawmakers and many watchdog groups say a failure to address
what they see as the source of lobbyists' greatest influence —
political contributions — would be a glaring oversight.
"If we're truly serious about getting to the core of the problem, we
need to look not only at lobbying reform but at campaign finance
reform," Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) said.
But Dodd agreed with other members of a key Senate committee last
week that trying to limit the fundraising clout of lobbyists as part
of efforts to overhaul congressional ethics rules would virtually
ensure that neither takes place.
Figures compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, a
nonpartisan group that studies political fundraising, illustrate the
growing importance of lobbyists in producing donations.
The group found that lobbyists' contributions to 2004 congressional
candidates totaled $22 million — nearly five times as much as a
decade earlier. And that figure does not include the substantial
amounts that lobbyists persuaded others to give.
Many lawmakers and their aides say they see nothing wrong with
relying heavily on lobbyists for fundraising help, so long as
contributions are disclosed.
"From the beginning of the Republic, lawmakers have interacted with
people who lobby," said Sean Spicer, a spokesman for Rep. Deborah
Pryce (R-Ohio), a member of the House GOP leadership. "Either you
abide by the law [regulating such relationships] or you don't."
Watchdog groups, however, contend that under existing rules, it is
hard to gauge the extent to which lobbyists prod clients and friends
to make donations.
Alex Knott, head of the Lobby Watch project for the Center for
Public Integrity, said lobbyists had "huge cadres of people that
they do business with on a daily basis who want political favors.
They can tap these donors" for contributions.
Lobbyists' effectiveness in spurring others to give is shown by how
often lawmakers name them to fundraising positions. Knott's group
estimates that since 1998, at least 79 members of Congress have
hired lobbyists to head or act as treasurer of their campaign
committees or political action committees.
With an eye on these trends, Fred Wertheimer, head of Democracy 21,
said a two-pronged approach to reform was needed.
He has recommended significant cuts in contributions lobbyists can
make to House and Senate candidates or the political action
committees set up by members of Congress. His plan would limit their
donations to a candidate to $200 per election, down from the current
$2,100 cap. The maximum contribution per year to political action
committees would be $500, down from $5,000.
Wertheimer's proposal also would bar lobbyists from soliciting or
delivering contributions and from leading candidates' political
committees.
Although there seems to be little backing in Congress for such
moves, some lawmakers are voluntarily changing their fundraising
practices in response to the Abramoff scandal.
House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) canceled fundraisers for
his political action committee that were scheduled at resorts in
Hawaii and Orlando, Fla.
His campaign spokesman, John McGovern, said Hastert hoped other
lawmakers would follow his lead.
"The speaker believes that he should lead by example," McGovern
said, adding that Hastert had encouraged lawmakers in both parties
to "avoid participating in events that although perfectly legal, may
create an appearance that … can be misconstrued by the public."
Hastert has by no means abandoned fundraising, a key aspect of his
job. In late February, he headlined a fundraising breakfast at
Westwood's posh Regency Room for the National Republican
Congressional Committee.
A business lobbyist who declined to be named because he did not want
to offend lawmakers he dealt with said his invitations to
fundraisers at expensive resorts had declined. But he said he was
still inundated with invitations to more modest affairs; his
calendar included 14 such events one day last week.
H. Stewart Van Scoyoc, head of a Washington lobbying firm, said
bookings of a special room in his offices for fundraising events had
dropped.
The room, with a view of the Capitol's dome, is being used about two
times a week this year, down from three to five times a week at this
point last year.
"People are being more cautious," Van Scoyoc said.
Still, at least 175 fundraisers are scheduled this month for members
of Congress. And some lawmakers continue to devise events that go
far beyond the usual banquets.
Those who made large contributions to the political action committee
established by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) received invitations to a
recreation-oriented weekend in early February at the Big Sky Resort.
Rep. Joe L. Barton (R-Texas), chairman of the House Energy and
Commerce Committee, hosted a seven-hour train ride from Fort Worth
to San Antonio in return for $5,000 donations to his political
action committee.
Planned fundraising events for other lawmakers revolve around
baseball's spring training camps, a pheasant hunt, a paintball
tournament and a circus.
Lawmakers generally use their political action committees to provide
financial help to others in their party. That's one reason McKeon,
the new chairman of the House Committee on Education and the
Workforce, made no apologies for this weekend's "Key Largo Get-Away"
that benefits his committee.
The GOP "is going to need money" to hold its House majority, he
said.
Invitees to Burns' winter festival gave large contributions to his
reelection campaign or his political action committee.
Polls show he is facing a tough reelection fight this fall, in part
because of his links to Abramoff. He recently returned donations he
had accepted from Indian tribes Abramoff had represented.
But Burns said he had no qualms that the get-together for his
backers this weekend would cause him political damage.
He said he had hosted similar events in the past. "It's old stuff."
Copyright 2006 Los Angeles Times
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