Tuesday, April 17, 2012
(graphic: truenewsfromchangenyc.com)
President Barack Obama is not accepting contributions from registered lobbyists, but that doesn’t mean he’s not accepting lobbyists in the Oval Office.
A review of White House visitor logs by The New York Times found that many lobbyists have paid visits to the president or his staff. These Washington power players have often tagged along on visits by major Democratic donors, or have gained entry on their own to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The White House has been especially receptive to major donors as of late, as President Obama prepares for his reelection campaign. Of those who have contributed $100,000 or more, about 75% have been to the White House, as did more than half who gave $70,000.
Not to be outdone, Mitt Romney’s campaign has already offered “preferred status at the first Presidential Inaugural retreat” to anyone who donates $50,000 as a founding member of the Romney Victory fundraising committee.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
To Learn More:
White House Opens Door to Big Donors, and Lobbyists Slip In (by Mike McIntire and Michael Luo, New York Times)
Romney Sells Inauguration Access, Nine Months Early (by Ben Smith, BuzzFeed)
Judge Orders White House to Publish Visitor Logs (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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