McCain Lobbyist Ties Questioned in Ad, Complaint
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein Reports: A watchdog group is launching an advertising campaign and filing an FEC complaint questioning the McCain campaign’s ties to lobbyists, as Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama spar over each other’s ties to special interests.
The TV ad from Campaign Money Watch, set to run on Washington, D.C., broadcast and cable outlets starting Monday, focuses on McCain’s role in the awarding of an Air Force contract that would eventually go to the French company Airbus instead of the American company Boeing.
"Seven of McCain’s staff and fundraisers lobbied for Airbus," the ad says. "And guess what? John McCain intervened, which helped Airbus get that Pentagon contract. Tell John McCain to kick those lobbyists off the Straight Talk Express."
The group is also asking the Federal Election Commission to investigate two other public reports that touch on McCain’s connections to lobbyists: That a lobbying company, the Loeffler Group LLP, made payments this year to McCain’s national finance director, Susan Nelson; and that a company controlled in part by campaign manager Rick Davis sliced more than $100,000 off of McCain campaign’s tab, when the campaign was starved for cash last year.
While working for Loeffler, Nelson lobbied on behalf of Airbus. Newsweek reported last month that Nelson was rehired early this year as a consultant for the company, while on the McCain campaign’s payroll.
Campaign Money Watch alleges that the payments made by the Loeffler Group and the discount arranged by the company 3eDC could amount to illegal corporate contributions, according to an FEC complaint to be filed Monday. A copy of the group’s letter to the FEC was provided to ABC News.
"That both of these matters involve excess or illegal contributions from for-profit entities raises serious questions about the McCain campaign that must be answered," the complaint states. "Simply asserting, without evidence, that they have done nothing wrong does not, in our judgment, satisfactorily answer the serious possibility that federal election law has been violated on at least two separate occasions."
The McCain campaign dismissed the allegations, calling them "baseless" and expressing confidence that the FEC complaint would be dismissed.
On the Boeing-Airbus deal, McCain aides note that the senator did not directly intervene on Airbus’ behalf, but rather encouraged the Air Force to level the playing field during the bidding process.
"This is a joke," said McCain spokesman Brian Rogers. "John McCain’s investigation of the bogus tanker deal saved taxpayers over $6 billion and exposed one of the biggest scandals in Pentagon history, for which executives and government officials went to jail. And now he’s being attacked for fighting corruption and shaking up the status quo in Washington? It’s absurd."
Campaign Money Watch is a project of the Public Campaign Action Fund, a nonprofit organization that seeks to highlight politicians’ ties to special interests. Officials said they would not disclose the size of their advertising buy.
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Yep the Democrats have wasted billions in stupid invetigations on Republicans instead of doing their job but have never found one unpaid parking ticket.
They cry about the Iraq war but they all keep voting to fund the war and OBAMA DOES VOTE TO KEEP THE WAR FUNDED. The Democrats know that terrorism is big threat after 9-11 and so was Iraq but would rather lie to the jewsih poeple when the Democrats would care less if their is a islamic sheilkel standing on every street corner telling you when to worship. As long as the democrats keep the blacks as victims so they can vote Democrat again
Posted by: johnm done | June 8, 2008, 4:10 pm 4:10 pm
Obama bought a home from Rezko when Rezko was under investigation.
Rezko raised a quater of a million from Obama.
McCain went after Jack Abramoff. Abramoff is in jail because of McCain.
This country has gone so far left it is going off a cliff.
Posted by: david | June 8, 2008, 4:14 pm 4:14 pm
I’m no fan of McCain but there is no question his finest hour was exposing the corruption that led to the 1st tanker deal. In that respect the McCain aide is correct, however it doesn’t address the allegation. The allegation is of a possible illegal donation to the McCain canpaign.
Come on ABC don’t let people weasle out so easily, you’re supposed to be good at this.
Posted by: Jason H | June 8, 2008, 4:24 pm 4:24 pm
David, you have added balance to the ethics question. How can anyone rise above the fact that Rezko helped get Obama into politics to begin with, funded his campaigns, and helped him to buy his house. It that a little like “the pot calling the kettle black”? Oops, there I go again playing the race card.
Just who is Campaign Money Watch, a Democrat friendly organization? Who runs it, and who funds it?
Will the media give a little more scrutiny to Obama’s influential donors, like Echelon, energy companies et al? I doubt it. The coming months will be very interesting. McCain has already been vetted. Now we need some serious looking (finally) at the other guy.
Posted by: georgia | June 8, 2008, 4:28 pm 4:28 pm
If voters think of Sen Obama’s church, friends in Chicago and what his wife said about America, NO one will vote for him this November.
Look at his pass we could predict his future.
Vote for our Country, not a Party.
Posted by: Alex | June 8, 2008, 5:02 pm 5:02 pm
McCain might be as even dumber than Bush Jr, having graduated 894th out of 899 in college, but he sure knows how to be JUST AS CORRUPT! McCain never met a lobbyist he didn’t get down on his knees for.
Posted by: wilder5121 | June 8, 2008, 5:11 pm 5:11 pm
The problem for most of you is: Rev. Wright was right. I understand Obama had to disown him to get the vote of the average ignorant and prejudice American. The truth be known, the USA does whatever is best for its major corporations no matter how crooked or who gets hurt. The war in Iraq and soon Iran is a prime example. The only way the USA is going to continue to get an adquate supply of oil is to maintain a military presence in the Middle East. That is why we are in Iraq and why we will invade Iran. It has nothing to do with terroists, who BTW hate the West for very good reasons. Their countries have been occupied and controlled by Europe, and now the USA, which included the stealing of their land to give to European Jews. The chickens really are coming home to roost.
Posted by: Spirit Rebel | June 8, 2008, 5:21 pm 5:21 pm
Love the news about the lobbyist Abramoff probe involving McCain and a coverup.
It’s over at Daily Kos. Meanwhile…
Clinton supporters who say they will vote for McCain may as well just cut out their own uterus with a scissors and leave it with the trash.
They’re doing it anyway by voting for him.
Posted by: kravitz | June 8, 2008, 5:40 pm 5:40 pm
Obama got many contributions from Rezco that were never really looked into by the press.
Posted by: Anders Scooper | June 8, 2008, 5:52 pm 5:52 pm
Obama’s health care plan would require working class families to insure thier children up to age 25 even if parents have no insurance. Working parents need insurance more because if they get sick the family may have no income. McCains plan gives families $5000.00 per year tax credit to purchase insurance.
Posted by: Anders Scooper | June 8, 2008, 5:59 pm 5:59 pm
Obama probably will not pull all the troops out of Iraq for years but he will not tell the people that.
Posted by: Anders Scooper | June 8, 2008, 6:02 pm 6:02 pm
What is this change Obama talks about?
Posted by: Anders Scooper | June 8, 2008, 6:05 pm 6:05 pm
Obama cannot do anything about oil prices.
Posted by: Anders Scooper | June 8, 2008, 6:10 pm 6:10 pm
Taxing oil companys will only increase the price of oil for the consumer.
Posted by: Anders Scooper | June 8, 2008, 6:14 pm 6:14 pm
The news media would not talk about the differences in issues between Obama and Hillary during the campaign but now CNN is talking about the issues after electing Obama.
Posted by: Anders Scooper | June 8, 2008, 6:21 pm 6:21 pm
Haggee has not preached to John McCain for 20 years and was not a member of his church and he wasn’t McCain’s spiritual advisor.
Posted by: Anders Scooper | June 8, 2008, 6:24 pm 6:24 pm
Republicans are proven INCOMPETENT FAILURES…at EVERYTHING. America doesn’t want INCOMPETENT FAILURES anymore. Obama will win. McCain will lose. Simple as that. End of story.
Posted by: wilder5121 | June 8, 2008, 6:55 pm 6:55 pm
It’s confusing to read when Brian Rodgers’ spin gets interjected. So McCain is supposedly being attacked with Airbus scrutiny through the Public Action Campaign Fund because of his previous exposure of a tanker deal. I have to say his spinmeisters aren’t so great.
Posted by: katrina | June 8, 2008, 7:10 pm 7:10 pm
He’s already defied his own campaign finance law and he’s swarming with lobbyists, so how can we expect any different. John McCain will never have to live up to what he preaches because his friends in the media never will force him too. Nevertheless, he is going down in flames this fall, just like he did three times in Vietnam. Johnny always was a bad pilot.
Posted by: patriot | June 8, 2008, 7:31 pm 7:31 pm
Why did it take mc-more-war months to denounce hagee’s endorsement? This will definately hurt him with the all important Catholic vote. Obama 2008!!!
Posted by: pt | June 8, 2008, 7:37 pm 7:37 pm
Isn’t it GREAT to see an average American really make it big. Obama was raised by his single-mother with the help of his grandparents. He worked Hard, got a good education, and turned down large sums of money to go to work for the average American. What a great story. He raised his large sums of money for his campaign, not thru big corporate donors like many others, but thru average Americans giving $10 or $20 at a time. I suspect he is going to go down in history as one of the great presidents of all time. Obama will be Great in 2008!!!
Posted by: pt | June 8, 2008, 7:47 pm 7:47 pm
Brian Rodgers was referring to a 2001 Boeing procurement scandal that McCain attacked when he was in the Senate Armed Service Committee. It had nothing to do with the awarding of the contract to Air Bus in March of ’08 and the 7 McCain staffers being involved as lobbyists. So, yes, he truly was doing a lousy spin.
I have issues with the money going to the French company of Airbus as I do with the earlier toll road building going to the Spain. McCain was continuing a bad policy of outsourcing.
Posted by: katrina | June 8, 2008, 7:51 pm 7:51 pm
Anders Scooper
Who cars about this church crap! I have a cousin who’s a racist yet that idiot no more speaks for me than Rev. Wright speaks for Obama. You bible thumpers are the ones clinging to your religion because you don’t have anything else. Not everyone in this country cares about this crap. I certainly don’t. My concern is for the economy and this war we should never have started. McCain is stuck on the wrong side of war in general. During the Viet Nam war he was a prisoner so he wasn’t part of the anti war movement that was going on. Now, he can’t understand why everyone has not interest in continuing it. He’ll soon find out the power of this movement! And look how he like Clinton tried to pander to us all with that stupid gas tax. It didn’t help Clinton and it won’t help him. Is this the type of economic plans we can expect from this jerk? Like Clinton he’ll do and say anything to get elected which is why he won’t either!
Obama 08
Posted by: roxanne | June 8, 2008, 7:52 pm 7:52 pm
If I remember correctly, McCain wrote a letter that told those who were to make the decision about the contract, to get off the dime and award the contract to someone (no one in particular) as the contract had been several years in the red tape and squabbling process.
Posted by: Steve | June 8, 2008, 8:01 pm 8:01 pm
pt,
As you said. So, Obama is the elitist.
Posted by: Alex | June 8, 2008, 8:27 pm 8:27 pm
Why no nationalize the oil companies?
Posted by: bartj | June 8, 2008, 8:29 pm 8:29 pm
katrina, It is Obama who is living in the distant past. The distant past of the failed ideas of socialism and communism. Obama wants to take the power of good away from the people and hand it over to the enemy State. The track record of an all powerful State of the type Obama is promoting is not a good one. When the people are forced to turn over their money and property to an all powerful State all freedom is lost. As Obama stated “We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times … and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK,” Obama said.
“That’s not leadership. That’s not going to happen,” he added.
Posted by: sandy | June 8, 2008, 9:17 pm 9:17 pm
So much talk about McCain this and McCain that.
The answer is simple. McCain, fire your lobbyist staff, and reject the PAC money. If you are not controlled by the Big Corporation Activists, separate yourself from them. If you don’t owe Lobbyists favors, keep them away from you.
But then, you can’t.
Posted by: Albert | June 8, 2008, 10:42 pm 10:42 pm
McCain is firmly entrenched with lobbyists long before his scandalous Keating Five fiasco. This is just the way this unscrupulous man does business. He surrounds himself with lobbyists and their big donations. His reformer role is vastly over-rated to cover up his questionable activities. He’s ripe for blowing up on camera, which will go viral on the Internet, and news networks. This will seal his fate. Obama gets under his skin, and especially so when Obama starts getting a big lead in the polls, and preferential treatment by the liberal press. Can’t wait to see how it all plays out. Should be fun.
Posted by: Joan | June 8, 2008, 10:47 pm 10:47 pm
Phil Gramm is widely attributed with the current mortgage crisis, from creating barriers to preventing such a crisis, to actively involved through the UBS Bank.
And, John McCain has made him the director of finance for McCain’s quest for the presidency.
A vote for McCain is a vote for more foreclosures. McCain should try to select his staff more carefully.
Posted by: Albert | June 8, 2008, 10:52 pm 10:52 pm
McCain is a flip-flopping, two-faced, dumber version of the incompetent failure Bush Jr. Nobody in America wants Republicans ruining our country…ever again. McCain will lose…Obama will win. Simple as that. Story over.
Posted by: wilder5121 | June 8, 2008, 10:55 pm 10:55 pm
So where is McCain’s money coming from?
We know where Obama and the Democrats are getting their money; from everyday folk like me. Obama is proud of his financial supporters. And, it appears, his supporters are proud of their support.
But McCain isn’t saying. Is he taking money from organizations that would offend average people? Are his donors associated with activities he is controlling in his Senate position? We don’t know.
Posted by: Marie | June 8, 2008, 10:59 pm 10:59 pm
LR:
I think McCain said that he could save America some money by shipping the jobs overseas.
Of course, that view isn’t popular with anyone who has been laid off because a foreign factory makes it cheaper; not just Washington State. Pennsylvania and Illinois aren’t real happy about the steel mills leaving either.
Posted by: Mike31 | June 8, 2008, 11:24 pm 11:24 pm
Steve367:
You tell ‘em man, I stutter.
We need a voice of Change. Real Change. Not change to make the corporations wealthy. Change to benefit Americans.
Obama in ’08.
YES, WE CAN!
Posted by: Piney | June 8, 2008, 11:28 pm 11:28 pm
Why would this group want to target mccain on this issue?? because there is record of obama earmarked over $91 millions dollars. You can confirm this on his website. He hasnt been a senator for this long and earmarked that much money. Imagine that for the future. At least $225,000 he earmarked for his long-time “moral-compass” pastor Pleger’s church.
How long has mccain been a senator?? too long and he has earmarked “ZERO”. yep, NOTHING, NADA!!!
Posted by: hannah | June 9, 2008, 2:07 am 2:07 am
Obama has been investigated up and down and all around by the best in the world hoping to get dirt on him. The best they come up with is that house property that he has not made a dime on and his pastor. What happen to being held accountable for your own actions, no wonder kids are going crazy in the world today, their parents just like some of you, probably raise your kids to think people judge you on who you are around not by your actions. What do we know for sure, we know that he has lived a good life as a good man, he has been a loving husband and from what it seems it good father. Obviously if he was or has an affair it would have been out there, so what does that say about him. Some of you are adulteress or live with someone who is and you stay with that person for much longer than twenty years. Who knows why you stay, everyone around you will always tell you what they would have done but its all talk. I bet most women can only dream of having a man who is there for them and has not cheated , but that means nothing , he is not judge by his actions but by those of the people around him , if thats all you got give it up people. If Hillary Clinton fought against lobbyists I could have seen myself voting for her , she didnt , and she never spoke against them , it was clear she was in bed with them , but you people dont care about that , just some loud mouth pastor , that you say preach hate , what hate are you idiots talking about. I bet most of you can say one line that preaches hate, which was it against and are any of you afraid of the REV.
Posted by: emyers | June 9, 2008, 8:24 am 8:24 am
When John McCain’s campaign went broke last summer it was the lobbyists who swooped in to rescue him. I wonder what wink and nod agreements were made for the assistance? Also, poor planning, going broke, and needing a bailout are not qualities I want in the next president.
Posted by: TSnow27604 | June 9, 2008, 9:46 am 9:46 am
Hey John get the story straight. Obama bought a house, Rezko bought an adjoining lot. Obama didn’t buy a home from Rezko. Obama bought a few feet from the Rezko lot and paid 125K for it, which was fair market value. I have seen NO claims that Obama got any special deal on the house or the additional lot space. Instead of your sleezy innuendo can you link to ANY evidence that ANYTHING corrupt happened in the deal. Obama didn’t get a special deal on the house or the lot.
Posted by: Pam | June 9, 2008, 12:05 pm 12:05 pm
Please stick to the facts. I am tired of opinion, innuendo and all out lies.
Who’s run a better campaign McCain or Obama from the beginning.
Who had the guts to give it to me straight and show the American voter some respect with the Gas tax issue.
Do I do or believe everything my church tells me. NO, otherwise I would’ve voted for Bush because they promote the pro-life candidate. Some pro-life President he turned out to be. Sending our young to die.
I don’t believe any candidate gets to where they do without questionable people they’ve been in contact with, but I understand Obama has donated most of the money donated by Rezco to charity and regrets the house deal.
I was going for McCain until he went against the equal pay for women bill. This told me he knows corporate buddies aren’t pay women what they should be.
Lets face it capitalist are for the rich (hence Republicans). When they said trickle down ecomomics I thought they meant if they made money it would then trickle down to the rest of us in the form of better pay, better benefits etc. I’m still waiting….
And the McCain supporters call the Obama supporters ignorant.
Posted by: Sely | June 9, 2008, 2:27 pm 2:27 pm
Corruption!
Posted by: WW2 | June 9, 2008, 2:41 pm 2:41 pm
McCain is a complete hypocrite – he has obviously not come very far since the Keating Five scandal. Does he really think that in this Intenet age he can pretnd to not have ties to lobbyists? Oh- wait a minute – yes he can! He’s that old!
Posted by: truthteller | June 9, 2008, 10:14 pm 10:14 pm
MC CANE TECIEVES MONEY FROM LOBBYSTS.
OBAMA HAS CAMPAIGN LOBBYTS EWORKING FOR FREE.
BOTHY ARE IN DEBT WITH LOBBYSTS.
AGAIN OBAMA WITH HIS MANIPULATIONS OF THE LAW. IT COULD BE LEGAL, BUT EQUALLY IMMORAL.
Posted by: NIL | June 10, 2008, 11:30 pm 11:30 pm
Boy you people are out in full force trying to change the subject. Rezco and Rev. Wright. Are you still trying to push that line of nothing. You people sound like Hillary fans, letting your master go on everything they do. Face it, John boy is a criminal. He should be locked up for setting up trade deals that Americans cant compete in. What is wrong with you people. Don’t you know you are selling out your own country.
Posted by: Michael M | June 11, 2008, 6:03 am 6:03 am
Anders Scooper is a paid staffer for McCain’s campaign. These guys get paid to go around and troll up the comments on any press revealing the true nature of John “straight talk” (pardon me) McCain. When will the press (“his base”) finally come around to exposing this guy for what he really is – a sorely incompetent flip-flopper who really has very little idea what he is talking about. EVER!
Posted by: conscriptor | June 11, 2008, 8:02 am 8:02 am