Major League Baseball’s ties to Dems run deep

Major League Baseball (MLB), expected to undergo serious scrutiny at a series of hearings scheduled for early next year on performance-enhancing drugs, has built deep ties to the Democratic Party though political donations.

Even when Democrats were in the congressional minority, a political action committee (PAC) maintained by the MLB commissioner’s office gave more to Democrats than Republicans. In addition, top lobbyists for baseball include a former Democratic congressman and the wife of a sitting Democratic senator.

{mosads}The commissioner’s office PAC has given more to Democrats than Republicans in every election cycle since 2002, even though Democrats only won majorities in the House and Senate last year. So far in the current cycle, the PAC is giving 65 percent of its donations to Democrats.

Overall, Democrats have received more than $330,000 from the PAC — about 56 percent of its total donations — compared to roughly $260,000 for Republicans since 2002, according to CQMoneyLine.

The sport’s ties to the majority party could help as it faces renewed criticism from lawmakers in Washington in the wake of the report released last week by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (D-Maine). The Mitchell report detailed widespread use of steroids, human growth hormone and other performance-enhancing drugs, and recommended that an independent authority be set up to police claims of drug use.

MLB’s current commissioner, Bud Selig, has traditionally supported Democrats as well. Selig has given $70,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in hard- and soft-money contributions since 1998, according to records compiled by the Federal Election Commission.

The former Milwaukee Brewers owner has donated to his Wisconsin senator, Russ Feingold (D), and has been a longtime supporter of presidential hopeful Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.).
Selig has contributed about $7,600 to Dodd, a Boston Red Sox fan, over the years, donating the maximum amount to his presidential campaign this year. The two sat together for a playoff game at Fenway Park in Red Sox owner John Henry’s suite this fall.

MLB’s top lobbyists include Lucy Calautti, head of government relations for MLB at Baker Hostetler. She lobbies for the league’s commissioner and its 30 club owners. “With regard to the PAC, we support Democrats and Republicans who care about our national pastime,” Calautti said.

Calautti, who is married to Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), is a well-known Democrat and former chief of staff for Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.). She has also advised several campaigns and has supported a variety of Midwestern Democrats with campaign contributions.

Cassidy & Associates also lobbies for MLB, and former Rep. Martin Russo (D-Ill.), the firm’s chief executive officer and senior vice chairman, is registered to lobby for the league.

Overall, however, baseball owners, executives and players have leaned towards the GOP presidential hopefuls in campaign contributions, according to an analysis by USA Today this fall.

The commissioner’s PAC has reached out to a number of members who will be asking the league tough questions in January.

Over the past several elections, the PAC has given $3,000 to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and $4,000 to the panel’s ranking member, Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.). Oversight postponed a hearing on Mitchell’s report scheduled for this week to January.

The PAC also gave panel member Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who has been vocal on the issue, $1,000 in 2003.

The MLB players’ association does not have a PAC, but has Democratic and Republican lobbyists working on its behalf.

Kevin McGuiness, Sen. Orrin Hatch’s (R-Utah) former chief of staff, is a top GOP lobbyist for the association. The firm also has also retained the Glover Park Group’s Joel Johnson, a Clinton administration alumnus, as a lobbyist.

The association has also retained Binghan McCutchen and Patton Boggs.

Baseball, which has been wary of government intervention in the past, is bracing for hearings by at least two House committees. Members planning those hearings have indicated they intend to base legislation on Mitchell’s recommendations, such as his call for more rigorous drug testing.  

“No big sport can avoid the influence of Washington. It is probably wise for baseball to play the game,” said Fay Vincent, MLB commissioner from 1989 to 1992.

Past action by Congress has subsided because of MLB’s willingness to cooperate.

In 2005, once the league took tougher action in policing itself, Capitol Hill lawmakers believed new legislation was unnecessary, according to congressional aides.

Mitchell’s report provides a number of recommendations to improve drug testing that several members are eyeing closely as a potential legislative blueprint. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) already plans to introduce a bill.

“I believe that American professional sports should adopt the uniform code of anti-doping rules established by the World Anti-Doping Agency,” Rush said at a Sunday press conference.

Rush had a telephone conversation with Mitchell on Thursday, the day the report was issued, according to a Rush aide. Mitchell has also been invited to testify at a hearing on the issue Rush plans to hold this January on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.

“Illegal, performance-enhancing drug use will not be tolerated by Congress,” said Rush.