Exposing Money From Lobbyists

EXPOSING POWERFUL INTERESTS — Democracy Advocate Gary Kalman meets with Rep. Van Hollen (Md.), a champion of lobby reform in Congress.

This summer, U.S. PIRG, the Federation of State PIRGs, backed a lobby reform bill that could shed light on the often-hidden activities of lobbyists and their interactions with legislators. The president signed the bill on Sept.14.

Lobbyists will now need to disclose their fundraising efforts on behalf of candidates. Increasingly, candidates rely on outside fundraisers, often paid lobbyists called “bundlers” who quietly raise up to hundreds of thousands of dollars for candidates.

President Bush’s “Pioneers” and “Rangers” each raised between $100,000 and $200,000. Sen. Hillary Clinton’s “Hillraisers” are each charged with raising $1 million.

“This information would help the public better identify the powerful interests who use fundraising to build access and influence,” said Democracy Advocate Gary Kalman.

We’re cheered by this progress on ethics, but disappointed that Congress has not yet overhauled ineffective ethics enforcement. U.S. PIRG has been working closely with a special ethics task force and House leadership to fight for changes that will hold members who break the rules accountable.