Biden's Lobbyist Ties Complicate Obama's Message

by Bara Vaida

Monday, Aug. 25, 2008


Barack Obama has attacked the Washington lobbying business and has made a ban on financial donations from federal lobbyists a cornerstone of his campaign. But his running mate, Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden, has not, and that is likely to spark a new round of questioning about Obama's claim that, as president, he would insulate himself from lobbyists and special interests.

During Biden's 2008 presidential run, which he ended in January, his campaign raised $121,560 from lobbyists, employees at lobbying firms, and family members of lobbyists, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. That amount doesn't include donations from in-house lobbyists at corporations or advocacy groups.

Biden's 2008 Senate re-election campaign has received $193,310 from lobbyists. Since the 1990 election cycle, Biden has received a total of $344,385 from lobbyists. That makes the lobbying sector, commonly referred to as "K Street" (where many firms have their offices in downtown Washington) the 10th-largest industry or profession to contribute to Biden's campaigns, the center says.

Further, a half-dozen or so former Biden staffers are working as Washington lobbyists. They include Jeff Connaughton, vice chairman of Quinn Gillespie & Associates; Mark Gitenstein, partner at Mayer Brown; Neil McBride, vice president for legal affairs at the Business Software Alliance; Jeff Peck, partner at Johnson Madigan Boland Peck & Stewart; Chris Putala, executive vice president of public policy at Earthlink; Jake Seher, senior legislative adviser at Venable; Ryan Spangler, manager of government relations at Monument Policy Group; and James Williams, senior vice president at Ogilvy Government Relations.

Biden also has family ties to K Street. His, son, R. Hunter Biden, is a founding partner at law and lobbying firm Oldaker, Biden & Belair. William Oldaker, one of the firm's other founders, has been a campaign adviser and fundraiser for Biden for 25 years, according to Delaware news reports. Biden is so close to former Rep. Marty Russo, D-Ill., CEO and senior vice chairman at lobbying firm Cassidy & Associates, that he is godfather to Russo's granddaughter.

For a time, Quinn Gillespie's Connaughton was the treasurer of Biden's leadership PAC, Unite Our States. He resigned in early 2006 not long after the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal prompted dozens of lobbyists to cease running leadership PACs for lawmakers. Connaughton declined to comment for this story.

To be sure, the contributions that Biden received from lobbyists represent a tiny portion of the $27.4 million he has raised since 1990. Still, his K Street ties complicate the Obama campaign's lobbyist-free claim.

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