Dem unity tough on K St.

Concerns over lobbyists could become a barrier to the blending of the Democratic presidential campaigns.

Problems may arise when Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, begins to merge with rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (N.Y.) massive fundraising apparatus.

{mosads}The Illinois senator has a policy of not accepting contributions from lobbyists or having lobbyists as members of his campaign finance team. During her primary run, Clinton never had such restrictions and accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from K Streeters. A number of her fundraisers are active lobbyists today.

Supporters of Obama have reached out to top Clinton fundraisers, some of whom are registered lobbyists, according to a source close to the Clinton campaign. But several lobbyists who have raised funds for Clinton’s campaign told The Hill that they have not heard from Obama aides as of yet, with some expecting never to hear from them.

“Don’t think so,” said Heather Podesta, one of several Clinton fundraisers who are active lobbyists. “Being a lobbyist, it’s unlikely that he will approach me or their people will approach me.”

Head of her own lobbying firm, Podesta said she would not terminate her lobbying registration in order to fundraise for Obama’s campaign.

“That’s my livelihood!” she said.

According to Public Citizen, a public interest group, 22 Clinton fundraisers out of 322 are lobbying or have lobbied in the past. Thirteen of those are still active now, having reported their names on first-quarter reports filed with the Senate this past April.

In addition, Clinton has accepted more than $888,000 from lobbyists or employees of firms that lobby, more than any other presidential candidate this election, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

“It would provide a great deal of special-interest money for his campaign. Clinton’s donors have tended to max out, being from more of the wealthier, special interest set, so that would be brought into his donor base,” said Craig Holman, Public Citizen’s campaign finance lobbyist. “It would ratchet way down the record number of small donations he has pulled in so far.”

Obama’s ban on lobbyist contributions now extends to the Democratic National Committee, which will no longer accept donations from those on K Street — a decision announced after Obama clinched the nomination.

“We are confident that the Democrats will come together to change the way we do business in Washington. Which is why it is the policy of the Obama campaign not to accept contributions from Washington lobbyists or those raised by them,” said Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan.

{mospagebreak}At times, Obama’s policy of not accepting lobbyist contributions has confused those in Washington.

In an e-mail to The Hill, Clinton fundraiser Lanny Davis said he “find[s] the ban on lobbyists somewhat puzzling, since there is nothing wrong with lobbyists per se — the last time I looked, lobbyists for the Girl Scouts are doing good works.”

Davis is a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and has been registered to lobby in the past. (He is also a contributor to The Hill’s Pundits Blog.)

Still, Obama’s campaign has gone to great lengths not to accept contributions from active lobbyists.  

{mosads}“I imagine that it must be enormously difficult, both in time and resources, to vet so many contributions to ensure that they are not from lobbyists. But they sure seem to be doing it,” said Scott Blake Harris, an Obama fundraiser and managing partner of Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis.

For example, Harris said a colleague of his was surprised to find an online donation he made to the Obama campaign returned. Why? He was a registered lobbyist, unbeknownst to him, because his company had registered him as such even though he never lobbies.

“He was not actually lobbying, but learned from the campaign that he had been registered by his company. That must be a first,” said Harris.

Further, Harris himself was asked by Obama’s aides to terminate any lobbying registrations he had before joining the campaign as a fundraiser. Known more for his work as an attorney before the Federal Communications Commission, Harris had filed lobbying forms for several clients to cover any potential trips to Capitol Hill.

“They actually demanded to see a copy of the termination report I had filed,” said Harris.

Harris is not alone, either. Fourteen of Obama’s campaign fundraisers have lobbied in the past, according to Public Citizen.

Several Clinton fundraisers said they have not heard from Obama’s campaign as of yet. Much of the input they have heard highlights the hard feelings left over from the five-month-long primary race.

“All I have received are angry e-mails that she didn’t ‘concede’ and that I am urging support for her for [vice president] on [the] petition,” said Davis in an e-mail.

Yet party unity for the Democrats seems to be in reach, at least on the fundraising side. Several members of Clinton’s fundraising team acknowledged they would join Obama’s campaign if asked by his aides.

Gordon Giffin, a partner at McKenna Long & Alridge and a Clinton fundraiser, said he was sure Democrats would join together in the near future.

“Once Sen. Clinton’s plans are clear, I am confident we will all be one big happy family,” said Giffin in an e-mail.