Lobbies give money to our elected officials 1998-2006

Larry Craig     $158,275

Mike Crapo      $221,506

Butch Otter     $34,534

The amount contributed by lobbyists has been increasing each election cycle. In 2000, the first

election cycle for which complete data is available, lobbyists and the PACs of lobbying firms

gave more than $17.8 million to members of Congress. This rose to more than $22.3 million in

the 2002 cycle. In the 2004 cycle, the amount surged to over $33.9 million. Much of the increase

in the 2004 cycle can be attributed to the enactment of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

(BCRA), which doubled contribution limits for individuals.

Lobbyists and the political action committees (PACs) of lobbying firms have contributed

at least $103.1 million to members of Congress since 1998.

(7,350) of the 27,121 people who registered as lobbyists since 1998 have contributed at

least $200 to a single congressional candidate or PAC. Only contributions of $200 or

more are reported by the FEC.

lobbyists have contributed $10,000 or more to members of Congress since 1998. This

select group accounts for 83.4 percent of the total contributed.

lobbyists is even more striking when one considers contributions of the very largest

donors. The 50 most generous lobbyist-contributors account for only 0.7 percent of

lobbyists who made contributions of $200 or more, and just 0.2 percent of all lobbyists.

Yet, these lobbyists have been responsible for 13.4 percent of all dollars contributed by

lobbyists to members of Congress since 1998.

• Lobbyists’ contributions are on the rise. Contributions by lobbyists and their firms’ PACs

almost doubled from $17.8 million in the 2000 election cycle (the earliest election cycle

for which comprehensive data is available) to $33.9 million in the 2004 election cycle.

(1998 is used as the starting point for this study because it is the earliest year for which

lobbying disclosure data is available online, but data is not available for the entire cycle.)

Some, but not all, of this increase can be attributed to the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign

Reform Act (BCRA), which doubled individual contribution limits beginning in the 2004

cycle. So far in the 2006 cycle, lobbyists and their PACs are on track to contribute $37.4

million. That would represent more than a 10 percent increase over 2004. The increase

will likely be greater, however, because the pace of contributions usually increases as

election day draws nearer.

• Lobbyists’ have given more to Republicans than Democrats since 1998. Since the 1998

election cycle, the contributions by lobbyists and their firms’ PACs to Republicans have

outpaced contributions to Democrats 56.6 percent to 43.4 percent. Thus far in the 2006

cycle, contributions to Republicans exceed contributions to Democrats 61.5 percent to

38.5 percent.

Public Citizen’s Congress Watch The Bankrollers 8

DeLay (R-Texas), Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) have each

received more than $1 million. Of the 36 members in the half-million dollar club, 21 are

Republicans and 15 are Democrats.

given at least $50,000 to members of Congress, 10.2 percent (38) have given at least twofifths

of their money to each party. Of the nearly 1,000 lobbyists who have contributed at

least $20,000 to members of Congress since 1998, more than 13 percent (132) have given

at least two-fifths of their contributions to each party.

former members of Congress who are now lobbyists have contributed $100,000 or more

to members of Congress since 1998. (Married former Reps. Bill Paxon and Susan

Molinari, both R-N.Y., are treated as a single household and their contributions are

merged in this study.)

lobbyists who have given at least $100,000 to members of Congress since 1998, nine

were designated as “Rangers” or “Pioneers” by George W. Bush in his 2004 campaign,

signifying that they raised at least $100,000 for Bush by soliciting contributions of others.

These lobbyists have collectively given more than $1.5 million to members of Congress.

Three lobbyists contributing $100,000 or more to members of Congress since 1998 raised

at least $100,000 for the 2004 presidential bid of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). These

lobbyists have contributed $506,476 to members of Congress.

contributions they ultimately provide to lawmakers. Lobbyists play a far more significant

role in funding lawmakers’ campaigns by coordinating fundraisers and arranging for

contributions from others. While no comprehensive data exists on lobbyists’ role in

soliciting campaign contributions, anecdotal information suggests that the amount dwarfs

their personal contributions:

- Former Freddie Mac lobbyist Mitchell Delk contributed $41,950 to members of

Congress from 1998 through 2006, ranking him No. 454 among lobbyist-contributors.

But Delk has claimed that he held more than 75 events for members of the House

Financial Services Committee from 2000-2003, and that those events raised nearly $3

million.

- Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff contributed $180,503 to members of Congress from

1998 through 2005. That’s a healthy sum that places him 30th among lobbyistcontributors.

But that’s hardly a measure of his influence. It’s only 7 percent of the $2.6

million that Abramoff and his clients contributed to members of Congress and

congressional candidates between 1997 and the end of 2004, according to a CRP

analysis. (Note: the CRP calculation covers a slightly different time period than that

Public Citizen’s Congress Watch The Bankrollers 9

covered in this study and also includes contributions to candidates who are not in

Congress.)

- In 1996, the lobbyist couple Denny and Sandra Miller hosted a pair of fundraisers for

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). The total the Millers could have contributed under the

campaign finance law at the time was $4,000. The fundraisers garnered Stevens

$160,000.

- The 12 lobbyists who raised at least $100,000 for Bush or Kerry in 2004 were limited

by law to only $2,000 each in personal contributions. But they managed to raise at least

50 times that amount. Four were able to funnel at least $200,000 to Bush – at least 100

times what they were permitted to contribute personally. While this example pertains to

presidential campaign contributions, rather than the congressional contributions that are

the subject of this study, it illustrates lobbyists’ fundraising power.