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[Makonero]

CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS ARE baldly enticing donors with the promise of meetings with senior legislative staff, effectively placing access to congressional employees up for sale to professional influence peddlers and other well-heeled interests.

Documents obtained by The Intercept and the Center for Media and Democracy show that the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee are both telling donors that in exchange for campaign contributions, they will receive invitations to special events to meet with congressional staff including chiefs of staff, leadership staffers, and committee staffers.

While selling donors access to senators and representatives and their campaign staff is nothing new, the open effort to sell access to their legislative staff — the taxpayer-funded government employees who work behind the scenes to write legislation, handle investigations, and organize committee hearings — appears to be in violation of ethics rules that prohibit campaigns from using House and Senate resources in any way.

Congressional ethics rules flatly forbid Capitol Hill employees from engaging in fundraising activities as part of their official duties. Any explicit fundraising work must be done strictly as a volunteer, and there must be a clear firewall separating government work from campaign work.

It's arguably the last fig leaf left when it comes to giving the appearance that campaign contributions are not directly linked to official acts.

”You can't use resources that are paid for by the taxpayer to service campaign donors. That's blatantly illegal," said Caroline Fredrickson, the former chief of staff to Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.

For as little as a $5,000 annual contribution, members are eligible for monthly briefings that include ”House Leadership Staff" and ”receptions with Chiefs of Staff, Leadership Staff & Committee Staff" as well as other more customary benefits.

”It's the blatant buying and selling of access," said Michael Beckel, the research manager at IssueOne, a campaign finance reform group. ”Congressional staffers, paid by the taxpayers, don't have carte blanche ability to participate in political fundraising. A reasonable person could easily conclude that this selling of access would be prohibited under congressional ethics rules because it's mixing official business with more than a de minis amount of campaign activity."

”This is the first time I have heard of party fundraisers based on pay-for-access to congressional staff," said Craig Holman, an ethics expert with the watchdog group Public Citizen. ”It raises serious issues of ethics and corruption."

”This takes money buying access to a new level," said Jessica Levinson, a law professor and ethics expert at Loyola Law School. ”This means that people with money can buy, in a very concrete sense, a meeting with important staffers."

More here


Disgusting but not surprising.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Well at least it's affordable.

 

[Nirolak]

I'm surprised it's so cheap.

 

[Karsticles]

I'm surprised it's so cheap.

GAFPAC.

 

[hey_monkey]

No, not surprising. It's always been implied. But if it's blatant, shouldn't it be actionable in terms of ethics?

 

[Makonero]

I'm surprised it's so cheap.

The Rawstory article I cribbed the title from has "as little as $5000" in the headline but that didn't fit Gaf's title length requirements

 

[jelly]

I'm surprised it's so cheap.

Just buying a ticket, what happens after is the higher cost.

 

[uncredited male]

I'm surprised it's so cheap.

Well it ain't the Senate.

 

[BajiBoxer]

It's been pay to play for so long, they don't even bother to hide it anymore. Don't know how to change it. It's been obvious for a long time, but most people just don't care enough.

 

[Gallbaro]

That's cheap. I am down to clown.

 

[BlueTsunami]

That political industry

When can I buy GOP stock?

 

[Steeped in a Sea of Games]

Crooked Hillary pay to play! Lock her up!

 

[adamy]

shockingly cheap, actually seems incredibly generous

good on them

 

[Gallbaro]

Crooked Hillary pay to play! Lock her up!

H'Dawg was waay more expensive to get monthly with.

This is much more democratic.

 

[Sectorseven]

We could pool our money.

 

[Dynomutt]

We could pool our money.

Who do we send? Slayven?

 

[Afrikan]

While selling donors access to senators and representatives and their campaign staff is nothing new, the open effort to sell access to their legislative staff — the taxpayer-funded government employees who work behind the scenes to write legislation, handle investigations, and organize committee hearings — appears to be in violation of ethics rules that prohibit campaigns from using House and Senate resources in any way.

Man they really do try to push as far as possible to see what they can get away with. I guess with Trump as President, they feel now is better than ever.

 

[Afrikan]

as far as $5,000 being cheap... That reminds me of public UFC Fighting pay amounts. Where there is MUCH more behind the scenes.

 

[IISANDERII]

No, not surprising. It's always been implied. But if it's blatant, shouldn't it be actionable in terms of ethics?

In a democratic nation, definitely. But not in America.

 

[cameron]

“It’s the blatant buying and selling of access,” said Michael Beckel, the research manager at IssueOne, a campaign finance reform group. “Congressional staffers, paid by the taxpayers, don’t have carte blanche ability to participate in political fundraising. A reasonable person could easily conclude that this selling of access would be prohibited under congressional ethics rules because it’s mixing official business with more than a de minis amount of campaign activity.”

“This is the first time I have heard of party fundraisers based on pay-for-access to congressional staff,” said Craig Holman, an ethics expert with the watchdog group Public Citizen. “It raises serious issues of ethics and corruption.”

If accurate, would a reasonable person kindly step up and formally make this conclusion? kthx

 

[NimbusD]

gaf should pool money for a meeting.

 

[boiled goose]

#notbribery

I'll just listen to you if you can give me enough money.

Oh and if I don't vote how you want me to, I know you're less likely to give me money again next time.

 

[Poker Face]

5000?

Where can I sign up?

 

[cdyhybrid]

Pay to play? 🤔

 

[malfcn]

If it worked for Trump and Mar-a-lago.

 

[Zubz]

Per year? I'd be willing to splurge...

 

[BriGuy]

The GOP came into power through illegitimate means and stay there through illegitimate means. They wouldn't be a viable party if they had to run on merit alone.

 

[Team Filler]

GOP are nothing more than a bunch of entitled whores and at this point they don't even care to mask it. Fucking cunts.

 

[akira28]

I would pay 5K a year for a monthly ass kicking session with House leaders. Bitch you better be at the next meeting to or else I'm coming to your office. Bitch this is mandatory ass whipping. See you next month.

 

[GrizzleBoy]

Something something Hillary pay for politician something something