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NEWS ABOUT: lobbyist

Nonprofit Lobbyists Want Obama to Let Them In

White House ban bars experts, policy suffers

(Newser) - Nonprofit groups have launched a new campaign on behalf of their own lobbyists, the New York Times reports. Barack Obama’s current anti-lobbying rules don’t make any distinction between corporate influence peddlers and public interest advocates; all are barred from administration jobs. Case in point: Tom Malinowski, the Human... More »

ACLU: Lobbyist Rules Restrict Free Speech

(Newser) - The ACLU and other watchdog groups on both the left and right think President Obama is carrying his crusade against lobbyists too far, Politico reports. Obama's recent directive forbidding government officials from discussing how to spend the stimulus with lobbyists infringes on free speech, they say. The groups plan to... More »

Obama's Lobbyist Ban Haunting Him

He's losing good people for hard-to-fill administration spots

(Newser) - President Obama’s campaign pledge to run a lobbyist-free White House is coming back to haunt him, writes Jonathan Martin in Politico. The problem is that there’s an army of Democratic specialists in hard-to-master policy areas who worked as lobbyists during the Bush administration—and they're all off-limits. “... More »

GOP Launches Offensive on Pro-Union Bill

Big business is paying big bucks to lobby against 'card check' bill

(Newser) - Republican lobbyists are swarming Capitol Hill this week, launching the battle over the pro-union Employee Free Choice Act—a fight one Chamber of Commerce exec describes as "Armageddon." Legions of GOP operatives are being enlisted to spend tens of millions of dollars offered by large corporations like Wal-Mart,... More »

Daschle Waited to Tell Obama About Tax Glitch

HHS nominee knew his taxes needed fixing; didn't know how much

(Newser) - Health secretary-designate Tom Daschle didn’t tell the Obama administration that he owed years of back taxes until a month after he’d been nominated, the Washington Post reports. He paid $140,000 in taxes January 2 and told government leaders about it two days later. He had known his... More »

Dem Lobbyists Leave K Street For Capitol

Obama's new rules have some seeking 'cleanse' on Hill first

(Newser) - President Obama’s tough anti-lobbying policies have Democrats headed for Capitol Hill, Politico reports. “Any Democrat worth their salt in this town wants to go work for the administration,” one lobbyist says. “But they’re just not talking to us.” Because Obama has strict policies against... More »

His Fundraising Machine Turns to Transition, Inaugural

But watchers holding Obama to transparency

(Newser) - Barack Obama is in fundraising mode again, this time for his transition and inauguration, CNN reports; many hope he will honor his promise to steer clear of special interests and big corporate donors. Though there is almost $10 million in public funds available for transition spending, experts say that’s... More »

Obama Team Lays Out 'Strictest' Ethics Rules

Lobbyists, corporations banned from contributing to transition

(Newser) - Barack Obama's transition team has set out what one official called "the strictest, most far-reaching ethics rules of any transition in history,” the Hill reports. Lobbyists, corporations and PACs will be barred from donating funds to the transition operation, and lobbyists on the team won’t be allowed... More »

Obama Team Has Wiggle Room for Hiring Lobbyists

Candidate has pledged that lobbyists won't run show

(Newser) - Barack Obama has said lobbyists “won’t run my White House,” but the realities of Washington dictate that some will play important roles in his or any administration. In fact, the Obama camp is working out hiring rules that would prohibit registered lobbyists from holding high-ranking White House... More »

Casinos Staked Fortunes on Friendly Gambler Mac

Industry blossomed with help from legislation by life-time gamer

(Newser) - Life-time gambler John McCain is behind more casino legislation than any other lawmaker, and has helped Indian gambling become a $26 billion industry, reports the New York Times. Though the Arizona senator has called lobbyists “birds of prey,” he has enjoyed close links to casino lobbyists. He once... More »

Palin Grabbed $25K in Gifts

41 gifts as governor include some from industry execs, municipalities

(Newser) - Sarah Palin accepted gifts totaling over $25,000 during her 20 months as governor of Alaska, the Washington Post reports. The gifts to Palin, who made a crackdown on gift-giving a central plank of her reform agenda, included expensive artwork and free travel for a family member. Donors included industry... More »

Freddie Mac Paid Monthly $15K to McCain Aide's Firm

Payments just ended this month

(Newser) - A firm owned by John McCain's campaign manager received $15,000 a month from Freddie Mac until the mortgage giant was taken over by the government this month, insiders tell the New York Times. McCain insisted just days ago that it's been years since aide Rick Davis had any contact... More »

McCain Camp Slams 'Biased' NY Times

Strategist cries foul after paper reports on lobbyist links

(Newser) - The McCain camp launched another attack on the media yesterday, this time blasting the New York Times as "biased" for its report linking the campaign to lobbyists for Freddie Mac and Freddie Mae. A spokesman called the Times a "pro-Obama advocacy organization" after the paper revealed that campaign... More »

Abramoff Sentenced to 4 Years

Corrupt lobbyist sentenced 3 years after guilty plea; he's already serving time

(Newser) - Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to 4 years in prison today for his role in a massive corruption scandal that shook the upper echelons of Washington, the Post reports. The sentence means that Abramoff, who traded ritzy junkets and gifts for political favors, will remain in prison until 2012.... More »

McCain Vows Lifetime Lobby Ban on Aides

Candidate calls pork-pushers 'symptom of a disease'

(Newser) - Calling lobbyists “the symptom of a disease,” John McCain railed against earmarking and pork-barrel spending yesterday, telling Politico that members of his administration would be barred from lobbying after life at the White House. Some of McCain’s top campaign aides are former lobbyists, and the senator has... More »

Lobbying Law Won't Crimp Convention Parties

Loopholes allow lavish bashes for lawmakers

(Newser) - Tough new rules aimed at weakening the influence of lobbyists won't keep Democrats and Republicans away from some of the most lavish convention parties ever seen, funded by those seeking to influence legislation, the Wall Street Journal reports. Dozens of loopholes allow lawmakers to skirt the legislation by accepting gifts... More »

More White House Links to Abramoff Revealed

Lobbist had closer ties to administration than its report admitted

(Newser) - The White House didn't go far enough in probing its links with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to a new report from a House committee. The report reveals 70 more contacts between Abramoff's team and White House figures than had been previously acknowledged—including four extra meetings with President Bush,... More »

Party Conventions: the Last Loophole for Big Donors

Issue may test McCain and Obama on their zeal to stop influence of big money

(Newser) - Big donors are pumping big money into both party's conventions, one of the last remaining loopholes in the rules governing so-called soft money contributions, the New York Times reports. And while it's all perfectly legal, the issue may test the conviction of both Barack Obama and John McCain on their... More »

Obama Moves to Clean Up DNC Money Machine

Opens fundraisers to press; lobby groups barred from giving

(Newser) - Barack Obama moved today to make his campaign more transparent, in keeping with his theme of bringing change to Washington. Obama will open all his fundraisers to the press, Politico reports. He’s also cleaning up his party’s fundraising efforts; starting today, the Democratic National Committee, like Obama’s... More »

McCain Loses 5th Adviser Over Lobbying Ties

Co-chair's company banked nearly $15M from Saudi deals

(Newser) - A high-ranking John McCain adviser has dropped out over his lobbying ties, Politico reports. Former Rep. Thomas Loeffler, McCain's national co-chair, is the fifth lobbying-connected resignation from the camp this week—and proof that McCain is serious about his lobbying shakeout. But not all in the GOP are thrilled. “... More »

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