Ken Whitehouse of the Nashville Post has a very interesting article about the state GOP shaking the money tree as hard as they can…
A number of lobbyists speaking confidentially to NashvillePost.com say that they have been contacted in the last week and asked to write personal checks for the Republican caucuses in the state house and senate. Legislative Republicans have a fundraiser scheduled for next week. While they believe the contributions would follow the letter of ethics laws, they believe it would violate the spirit. The lobbyists also wondered if there would be retribution delivered on their legislative packages if checks weren't written.
Individual lobbyists are welcome to open up their own personal checkbooks and make donations that would be illegal for their clients to make. This loophole needs to be closed NOW.*
With Republicans so eager to take advantage of the situation, don’t expect Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey to make it a top priority. Action will have to start in the State House. The good news is, I expect the lobbyists just might be on our side on this one. They probably like throwing around other people’s money a lot more than their own. After all, it would be illegal to ask their clients to reimburse them for any personal political contributions.
- Rick Lewis
* By “now” I mean in January when the legislative session starts up again. Unfortunately, by then the Republicans will already have bled the lobbyists as much as they can.
It’s illegal in Tennessee for lobbying entities (PACs, firms, etc.) to donate directly to candidates
What? PACs can't donate to candidates? The contribution filings are filled with PAC donations. I'm a member of several PACs that have donated to candidates. What the problem might be here is if the PACs donate to GOP caucus PACs and to the candidates, unknowingly going over the contribution limits when the GOP PAC then donates to the candidates as well (either cash or in-kind via mailings). But something doesn't seem right about your statement.
Posted by: Tom | October 30, 2007 at 08:47 PM
Yes - you're right, of course.
I wrote that in such a simplified, overstated way as to be absolutely incorrect.
PACs can donate directly to candidates, and - if I understand correctly - lobbyists cannot:
T.C.A. § 3-6-304(j) states: "No lobbyist shall offer or make any campaign contribution, including in-kind contribution, to or on
behalf of the governor or any member of the general assembly or any candidate for the office of
governor, state senator or state representative."
The issue here is PAC money from a lobbyist's client (which might also be a PAC) and I butchered trying to explain it so thoroughly the first time that I'm simply removing that language from the original post all together.
Posted by: Rick Lewis | October 30, 2007 at 10:37 PM