Executive Summary
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The Bankrollers: Lobbyists’ Payments to the Lawmakers They Court, 1998 - 2006 Congress Watch May 2006 Acknowledgments The primary authors of The Bankrollers: Lobbyists’ Payments to the Lawmakers They Court, 1998-2006 were Congress Watch Research Assistant Lara Chausow, Congress Watch Research Intern Tom Scherer, Campaign Finance Lobbyist Craig Holman and Congress Watch Research Director Taylor Lincoln. Congress Watch Senior Researcher John O’Donnell, Legislative Counsel Jillian Aldebron, and Public Citizen Communications Director Angela Bradbery made substantial editing contributions. Public Citizen Chief Technology Officer Jason Stele and former Public Citizen Manager of Information Systems James Meehan developed information technology strategies to process, match and analyze the data that appears in this report. Chausow aided that effort by combing through data and unraveling mysteries caused by multiple contributors having similar or identical names. Lincoln, Stele and Meehan developed the methodology for capturing and analyzing the data, with assistance from experts at the Center for Responsive Politics and former Congress Watch Director Frank Clemente. About Public Citizen Public Citizen is a 100,000 member non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. We represent consumer interests through lobbying, litigation, research and public education. Founded in 1971, Public Citizen fights for consumer rights in the marketplace, safe and affordable health care, campaign finance reform, fair trade, clean and safe energy sources, and corporate and government accountability. Public Citizen has five divisions and is active in every public forum: Congress, the courts, governmental agencies and the media. Congress Watch is one of the five divisions. 215 Pennsylvania Ave. S.E. Washington, D.C. 20003 P: 202-546-4996 F: 202-547-7392 http://www.citizen.org © 2007 Public Citizen. All rights reserved. Table of Contents Introduction................................................................................................................................... 4 Executive Summary...................................................................................................................... 7 Section I: Recipients of Lobbyists’ Campaign Contributions ................................................ 13 Figure 1: Contributions from Lobbyists and Lobbying Firms’ PACs .............................. 13 Figure 2: Breakdown of Contributions By Lobbyists ....................................................... 13 Figure 3: Breakdown of Contributions By $10,000+ Contributors ................................. 14 Trends: Contributions By Lobbyists Are On the Rise ...................................................... 14 Figure 4: Contributions from Lobbyists and Lobbying Firms’ PACs by Cycle ............... 14 Lobbyists Give More to Republicans Than Democrats..................................................... 15 Figure 5: Lobbyists’ Contributions to Republicans Versus Democrats ........................... 15 Top Congressional Recipients of Lobbyists’ Contributions ............................................. 15 Figure 6: Senators Who Received at Least $500,000 from Lobbyists.............................. 16 Figure 7: Members of the House Who Received at Least $500,000 from Lobbyists........ 17 Top Recipients in the 2006 Election Cycle.......................................................................... 18 Figure 8: Top 20 Senate Recipients of Lobbyists’ Contributions, 2006 Cycle................. 18 Figure 9: Top 20 House Recipients of Lobbyists’ Contributions, 2006 Cycle ................. 19 Just One-Fifth of One Percent of Lobbyists Made 13 Percent of Contributions............ 19 Many Lobbyists Give Heavily to Both Parties ................................................................... 19 Figure 10: Lobbyists Who Contributed the Most to Members of Congress ..................... 20 Figure 11: Top Lobbyist Households Giving at Least 40 Percent to Each Party ............ 21 Trade Association Chiefs Are Typically Not Big Givers................................................... 22 Figure 12: Contributions By Trade Association Leaders Who Are Lobbyists ................. 22 Contributions by Lobbyists Subsequently Convicted of Felonies .................................... 23 Figure 13: Contributions of Lobbyist-Felons................................................................... 23 Some Former Members Give Significantly to Current Members.................................... 23 Figure 14: Former Members of Congress-Turned-Lobbyists .......................................... 23 Many Big Donor Lobbyists Are Big Bundlers ................................................................... 24 Figure 15: Lobbyist Rangers and Pioneers Who Gave at Least $100,000 to Members of Congress Since 1998......................................................................................................... 24 Figure 16: $100,000+ Lobbyist-Contributors Who Raised at Least $100,000 for Kerry 24 Public Citizen’s Congress Watch The Bankrollers 1 Lobbyists’ Contributions Are the Tip of the Iceberg ........................................................ 25 Section II: Profiles of the Top Ten Lobbyist-Contributors .................................................... 27 1. Stewart Van Scoyoc .......................................................................................................... 27 2. Dan Mattoon...................................................................................................................... 30 3. Michael Berman................................................................................................................ 32 4. Denny and Sandra Miller................................................................................................. 34 5. Kenneth and Kathleen Kies ............................................................................................. 36 6. Ben Barnes......................................................................................................................... 39 7. James E. Boland................................................................................................................ 41 8. James and Camille Bares Massie..................................................................................... 44 9. Van D. Hipp Jr. ................................................................................................................. 47 10. David Bockorny............................................................................................................... 49 Section III: Snapshots of the Next Ten Lobbyist-Contributors............................................. 51 11. Paul Magliocchetti .......................................................................................................... 51 12. Gerald Cassidy ................................................................................................................ 52 13. Frederick Graefe............................................................................................................. 53 14. Stewart Hall..................................................................................................................... 54 15. Peter Madigan ................................................................................................................. 55 16. Bruce Gates...................................................................................................................... 56 17. Gary and Susan Andres ................................................................................................. 57 18. Joel Jankowsky ............................................................................................................... 58 18. Joel Jankowsky ............................................................................................................... 58 19. Timothy Rupli ................................................................................................................. 59 20. James E. Smith................................................................................................................ 60 Public Citizen’s Congress Watch The Bankrollers 2 Section IV: Legal Justifications for Limiting Lobbyists’ Gifts............................................... 61 Summary of the Legislative Proposal ................................................................................. 61 The Supreme Court Has Recognized the Right to Treat Lobbyists Differently............. 61 Courts Have Upheld Certain Restrictions on Contributions from Lobbyists................. 61 Courts Have Upheld Regulation of Other Sectors’ Campaign Activities........................ 62 A Basis Exists for Prohibiting Lobbyists from Soliciting Funds ...................................... 63 Appendix I: Congressional Contribution Laws ....................................................................... 65 Appendix II: State and Member Contribution Rankings....................................................... 66 Figure 17: States Ranked By Average Contributions Received by Current Senate Delegation, 1998-2006 ..................................................................................................... 66 Figure 18: States Ranked By Average Contributions Received by Current House Delegation, 1998-2006 ..................................................................................................... 68 Figure 19: Current Senators’ Contributions Received from Lobbyists,