| Advertisement |
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Hundreds of lobbyists for some of the world's biggest corporations have made huge donations to GOP candidates in the 2012 U.S. presidential race, records show. Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, has received the most by far, The Washington Post reports.
Advertisement
The newspaper's analysis of donor and lobbying records revealed more than 100 registered lobbyists have given a total of nearly $200,000 in direct contributions to Romney's campaign while a team of lobbyist fundraisers has bundled almost $1 million for the campaign.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has received $72,000 in contributions from 42 lobbyists in addition to $77,000 bundled by a bank executive, the Post reported.
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum also have received contributions from dozens of Washington lobbyists.
The Post says the 2012 elections are expected to be the most expensive in U.S. history.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported Friday that despite President Barack Obama's pledge not to take contributions from lobbyists, he has received millions of dollars from supporters active in the lobbying industry.
The Times reported at least 15 of Obama's bundlers -- supporters who contribute their own money and solicit money from others -- have raised more than $5 million and represent corporate interests including high-tech software, international commerce and pharmaceuticals.
But bundlers are not registered as lobbyists with the U.S. Senate, allowing the Obama campaign to maintain its self-imposed ban on taking contributions from lobbyists, the Times said.
But the newspaper noted the bundlers have access to power centers in Washington and some host Obama fundraisers and visit the White House on matters of policy and official business.
"The campaign has to draw the line somewhere, but the reality is that the president is still relying on wealthy special interests and embracing those people in his campaign," said Craig Holman, a registered lobbyist for Public Citizen, a non-partisan ethics group in Washington
The Times story pointed to the example of Sally Susman, a Pfizer executive who leads the drugmaker's lobbying arm. Susman raised more than $500,000 for Obama's re-election, helped organize a $35,800-a-ticket New York dinner Obama attended in June and visited the White House four times since 2009, twice on export issues.
Asked about the Times article, White House press secretary Jay Carney defended the contributions from bundlers.
"This president's record is unprecedented in terms of his rejection of money from PACs and lobbyists," Carney said.
As for the president's pledge not to accept contributions from lobbyists, Carney said: "He has kept that pledge and has been more transparent and held himself and his administration to higher standards than any administration in history. And that's a record we're very proud of."
The Post noted Obama came under criticism from environmentalists and watchdog groups this week for hiring former lobbyist Broderick Johnson as a senior adviser. Johnson had spent a decade representing clients including TransCanada, which is seeking U.S. approval for a controversial oil pipeline from Alberta to Texas.
David Donnelly of the Public Campaign Action Fund, which supports public financing of elections, said lobbyists can wield considerable influence over politicians because of their role raising money.
"These lobbyist donors get an immense of amount of access and influence over elected officials, and the rest of us get one lousy vote," Donnelly said. "It is a business model that relies on lobbyists making campaign contributions, raising money for candidates and being in the most helpful position they can be in to benefit their clients down the line."
Donors told the Post it's not surprising industry lobbyists support Romney, Perry and other GOP candidates because of the Republican party's reputation for being business-friendly.
