When lobbyists donate $20 million to one campaign and a pittance to the other, which side is more likely to be bought and paid for? From Michael Krieger at libertyblitzkrieg.com:
With so much mud being slung from all directions in this circus of an election, it’s often hard to separate fact from fiction. However, on one particular topic there is little doubt. When it comes to the big money crowd, they are definitely “with her.”
The Wall Street Journal reports:
Not a single registered lobbyist has raised a substantial amount of money for Republican nominee Donald Trump‘s campaign, according to campaign-finance disclosures filed over the weekend.
Democrat Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, has drawn more than $20 million over the course of her race for her campaign and joint Democratic Party accounts through funds raised by registered lobbyists, according to her disclosures.
Campaigns and joint party accounts are required to disclose to the Federal Election Commission the names of registered lobbyists who raise more than $17,600. The latest disclosures cover the period through September.
Mr. Trump has spent more than a year railing against Washington lobbyists and the “special interests” they represent. Yet leaders of his transition team have held a series of meetings with industry lobbyists to prepare for a possible victory next month, the Washington Post reported.
On top of the financial cost of alienating lobbyists—which comes as Mr. Trump entered October with half as much cash in the bank as Mrs. Clinton—Mr. Trump also loses the broader network lobbyists’ support brings. Lobbyists are connected to a wide range of corporate clients who both have deep pockets and carry plenty of influence.
“We have specifically not recruited lobbyists to raise money as Mr. Trump has always said he would not be beholden to special interests that control Washington, D.C., and our failed politicians,” said Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks. “This is a movement about the people and it will continue to be if he is elected president.”
This year, lawyers and lobbyists donated nearly $30 million to Mrs. Clinton through August and just $830,000 to Mr. Trump, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
On top of the legally required FEC disclosures, Mrs. Clinton also posts and regularly updates a list of donors who have raised $100,000 or more for her campaign. Mr. Trump hasn’t disclosed any bundlers for his campaign, and a spokeswoman has said he doesn’t plan to do so.
Of course, this just adds icing to the cake of a trend I’ve been writing about all year. For example, recall what we learned last month in the post, Wall Street Goes “All In” for Hillary Clinton:
Hedge fund moguls are pouring stunning amounts of cash into the main super-PAC supporting Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Citing data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, the Wall Street Journal reported in July that “seven financial firms alone have generated $47.6 million for groups working on Mrs.Clinton’s behalf.”
The comparable amount raised for Trump at that time was $19,000. And though his haul from the financial industry has increased substantially by now, it still pales in comparison to Clinton’s.
To continue reading: ‘With Her’ – Lobbyists Raise $20 Million for Clinton vs. Zero For Trump
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