Loggying Activist

Blunt, Carnahan to hold DC fundraisers with 

lobbyists,

(ST. LOUIS, Mo.) Both of Missouri’s U.S. Senate candidates will be holding major fundraisers next week with lobbyists in Washintgon, D.C.

The first, on Tuesday, will be for Secretary of State Robin Carnahan at Quinn Gillespie & Associates, two blocks north of the infamous “K-Street.” Tickets range from $500 to $1000, and it costs $2,500 to be a Co-Host.

The host list includes Kevin Kayes, Mike Hussey, Jack Quinn, Bonnie Hogue Duffy, Manny Ortiz, and Patrick Von Bargen – all from Quinn Gilespie & Associates, a firm who’s client list includes companies from telecommunications, some financial groups, and noteably – the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Congressman Roy Blunt’s campaign, which is having a fundraiser the next day (read below), called the fundraiser an example of hypocrisy.

“Robin Carnahan has taken over a million dollars from lobbyists and special interests, she has taken money from the top three recipients of lobbyist contributions and she continues to raise money from Washington lobbyists,” said Blunt spokesman Rich Chrismer.

Carnahan spokesman Linden Zakula said, “Robin has support from lots of different people but Congressman Blunt is the only candidate in this race who has a Washington record of special deals and wasteful earmarks for his convicted felon lobbyist friends.”

Chrismer didn’t mention Blunt’s own fundraiser.

Congressman Roy Blunt (PoliticMo Photo/Blake James

It will be for Congressman Roy Blunt’s campaign. It will be held at Hotel George, six blocks south of K Street, on Wednesday evening, featuring a reception followed by a dinner. To sponsor as an individual, it costs $2,400, $1,000 to be a guest, and $500 to attend a reception.

The information about the fundraiser was distributed by the Conservative Victory Fund, which is funded majorly by investment, farm, and health interests.

The fundraisers’ hosts: Rhod Shaw of the Alpine Group, whose firm represents a wide range of energy organizations; Sam Geduldig, of the Clark, Lytle, & Geduldig lobbying group, who spent four years advising blut while he served as the Republican Whip in the House; Doug Ritter, who lobbys for an aviation and military contracting company; and Mildred Webber, a lobbyist for the National Association of Broadcasters.

Blunt in 2009 received the more lobbyist campaign contributions than any other member of congress, and remains at the top of the list this year.

Carnahan herself has blasted Blunt in the past for his relationships with lobbyists.

“Before he went to Washington, he was a pretty decent guy,” Carnahan said to a group in Greene County the weekend after the primary election. “We’ve agreed on a number of things – when he was running for governor, he proposed ethics proposals to ban lobbiests campaign contribution.” “I agree,” she said.

“I’ve gotta tell you – I don’t like the way washington works. I think we need to do things differently – both on cracking down on lobbyists, and all the flow of money, but making sure instead of bailing out folks that are too big to fail, we look at mainstream,” Carnahan said to reporters on the same day.

Specifically, the campaign has focused on an instance regarding California defense contractor Brent Wilkes. Wilkes donated $14,000 to Blunt’s congressional campaign eight days after Blunt voted in favor of a provision of a $1 million earmark that would benefit one of his companies.

Chrismer says, “her false attacks against Roy Blunt have no credibility.”

(source:politicmo.com)