Following the money from defense lobby
WASHINGTON -- Defense lobbyists spent nearly $750,000 to help honor Obama administration officials during the first six months of the year, accounting for nearly half of the payments made then, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data shows.
Lockheed Martin, followed by three other defense contractors —BAE Systems, TriWest Healthcare Alliance and General Dynamics— reported spending the most. In many cases, the companies underwrote charity events in which the military's top brass or other key federal officials were honored or in attendance.
Overall, all lobbyists reported spending more than $1.6 million in the category of honorary expenses connected to executive branch officials between Jan. 1 and June 30. By comparison, lobbyists reported spending $2.3 million during the first six months of 2008, when President George W. Bush was in the White House. Defense contractors also topped the giving then, spending $1.8 million.
The spending, which is legal, represents another way for contractors to build relationships with the officials who have sway over their industry, said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "Most of their business is with the government," Sloan said. "Spending $50,000 is nothing if it warms up people to give them the next $100 million contract."
The analysis examined reports that lobbyists are required to file with Congress detailing donations to non-profit groups associated with public officials or payments made for events held in their honor. It did not include an additional $700,000 related to inaugural celebrations that lobbyists disclosed in separate reports.
Lockheed spent nearly $190,000 — including a $50,000 payment to the National Defense University that lists Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, as the honoree and another $50,000 to the Coast Guard Foundation for a dinner attended by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Lockheed is the top recipient of Defense Department contracts. Last month, the company was awarded an $821 million contract to service Homeland Security surveillance planes.
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