Powerful Democratic chairmen and subcommittee chairmen have relied on lobbyists to raise money during the first three months of this year, according to recent fundraising reports, which cast light on the strong opposition to lobbying reform legislation scheduled to reach the floor today.
Conservative Democrats in the Blue Dog Coalition have been particularly leery of legislation that would require lobbyists to reveal in public reports the total amount of contributions they raise or “bundle†for lawmakers. Many Democrats voiced concerns at a closed-door caucus meeting on the lobbying reform bill last week. . . . It appears many Democrats — and Republicans, for that matter — would prefer that the public not know how much fundraising help lobbyists provide.
There seems to be a lot they’d rather not have the public know.